Wanted
by Ashleopard
Summary: Kevin Clark's world is turned upside down when he is turned into a werewolf for the first time. Only two weeks after he begins struggling to keep the secret from his parents and be an active member of the pack, problems arise when he meets a girl that not only he imprints on, but also imprints on him. Rated T for minor language.
1. Prologue

Prologue

I'd thought I was invincible. Nothing could scare me! I was the cool guy who never seemed to stay in one place for too long. The drastic changes in my life in my Junior year of High School only seemed to strengthen the belief so it could course through me in anger as I wished it to – it could turn me into the predator of only the most dangerous creature to stalk the shadows of death itself.

When I met her – the girl I'd never known I wanted – I thought I had it all. Rules were bent, lines crossed. That should have been a warning to me – it was. It was the warning I failed to heed. How I do regret it, not being able to realize as the core origin of my very existence was uprooted, leaving me vulnerable when I couldn't feel more resilient. How I regret failing to see what love could do.

Love is the most powerful force of nature. It can tear apart lives, yet bring them together. It can break all the rules, cross all the borders, break all weaker relationships. But, worst of all, love is like a drug. It takes everything that feels wrong – that sixth sense that tells you when danger is around – and numbs it. It fills in all the gaps to make you feel complete, leaving you unaware that you had any weaknesses in the first place.

That is why love is dangerous, yet so sweet. I didn't realize that I'd given myself away. I no longer controlled myself; she did. You see, when you love someone, you give them a full-time membership to your heart. They have the power to make you strong, sorrowful, the power to make you hesitate before leaping in with all four paws but to order you into the dead, most hopeless fight.

Worse above all things, though, is the most devastating power you invest in someone when you give them love: the power to break you. With a few simple words or actions, you could be writhing on the ground with no life left worth living, no reason to continue on.

It wasn't until I thought she was gone – until I thought that I had lost her, that the true power of love beheld me. I couldn't find the will to move, to eat, to sleep, to be who I was. Without her, I'd lost the half of myself I'd never noticed she'd claimed. I lost all my dreams and hopes and whatever had been important to me. I was broken and left alone, exposed to the treachery of love just as it was waving good-bye to me.

But still – the most obnoxious, agonizing, dreadful part of love isn't just when you realize its true power – Oh no! – It's when you realize what it has done to you.


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay… here goes nothing. So this is a lil short story I began some time ago (after I had a heart attack watching Breaking Dawn Part 2 XD) and I began wondering what would happen to Leah. She's too awesome to disappear… so I decided to make this little fan fic about her and my made-up character Kevin. If this first chapter seems a little rushed, I apologize. I was sneaking onto the computer and I was eager to get to Chapter 2. Anyway… enjoy! **

Part One

It was any normal day. I was sitting at a lunch table with my friend Cohl. We were both about 17 years old, in our third year of high school in La Push. We were talking at random about anything teenage boys would talk about. Girls, video games, stuff like that.

Suddenly, a surge of anger rushed through me. I didn't know the reason, but it was searing through my veins in super-heated waves.

Cohl had leaned over to grab a napkin on the other side of me, when his hand accidently bumped my arm. He jumped back with a gulp. "Kevin, you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I snapped back at him. I could feel sweat dripping from my forehead.

"It's just that your skin is really hot, as if you have a fever," Cohl replied, looking taken aback at my sharp words.

I glanced at my arm, feeling perfectly adequate since the anger had just washed away. "Yeah, I feel fine," I answered, shrugging.

"Maybe you should go to the nurse, you're sweating." He said in a low voice, picking at the tray of food before him. I'd already finished mine. While it was dank, I was hungry.

Another wave of heat and anger surged through me. "Perhaps you're right," I said, standing up. "I'll probably be back in a few." Grabbing my tray, I walked toward the trash cans and threw it away. I then ambled out of the lunch room into the empty halls of the school.

They weren't quite empty, though.

There was a large man, maybe in his early 20's. He was standing at random with several other boys, their ages varying. As I passed, I saw the man look at me. Now that I could see his face, I recognized him. Sam Uley, a man I knew for his popularity. He had a huge pack of friends; it was all quite strange to me.

"Hey," he said as I passed. It may have been me, but he looked like he'd been waiting. "Are you Kevin Clark?"

"Yes," I answered hesitantly, stopping.

Another man stood next to Sam. "You having some… anger issues?" he smirked in an odd way.

This caused agitation to flare inside me, as strong as it had been all day. "Paul, shut up." Sam barked. To my astonishment, Paul listened and backed away.

"You have a… special condition." Sam replied, standing tall. "Have your parents or grandparents ever told you the Quileute Legends?"

"All my grandparents are dead and my parents have never said anything," I replied coldly, the anger having not rushed away yet.

"Then you must come to The Island for rehabilitation," Sam told me. "We'll take you there now. Your parents will be informed, so don't worry about them. You'll be able to go home in about a week or two."

"What right do you have to take me away?" I'm not exaggerating when I say I snarled, full blown teeth exposure and all! What was happening to me?

This reaction almost seemed to please Sam. He shared a positive, hopeful glance with Paul. "It's a… how should I put it? A tradition for the members of the Quileute Tribe. All eligible participants must be taken to The Island so they can become Warriors."

His response confused me. Maybe I should have researched the Legends before now. "Um, okay, then, take me to become a 'Warrior.'" My tone had a sarcastic edge to it.

The smirk he shared with Paul and a few of the other boys upset me. I just shook my head, anger having faded again. Whatever they said, I guess I should follow them.

After a 20 minute car ride and 5 minutes of boating, we all arrived on an island just off the coast of Washington – an island I hadn't known existed.

"This is The Island of the Wolf," Sam said, all the boys following behind him in an odd manner. "We will be camping out here for two weeks. Some of the boys will leave to pick up school work and give you the lessons you shall miss, but you will spend much of your time learning from what knowledge we have to give you."

"I don't understand. What's happening? Why couldn't you teach me on the Mainland?"

"The Mainland isn't a safe place for us," one boy whose name was Jarod said. "You'll find out why in a few minutes, when your first lesson begins."

Lessons so soon? Well, if they insisted…

A few yards off the beach and into the island, a large log cabin appeared. We walked inside. Dozens of beds were spotted with no separate rooms. There was no food, but clothes. Clothes _everywhere._ There were some dressers that appeared to be stocked full, but that wasn't enough. There were huge piles of plain shirts and pants that looked worth about a penny.

"This is where we will be sleeping in our free time," Sam explained. "But now you will come outside with me for the first and most vital thing you will need to know."

He led me outside. I could hear the boys bustling against the door, eager to watch. I had no idea why they were so excited, but I heard them saying things like '$5 he freaks' or '$7 he runs away.'

"Okay," Sam said, taking his shirt off. "First, do you feel that your clothes are of any value to you?"

"Yes!" I growled. "It's not like my family has a limitless amount of money!"

"Well, take them off."

"What?!" I gasped, hugging my clothes tightly to me. "No way!" I could feel the eyes of everyone from the cabin.

"As you wish." Sam took off his shorts, leaving him almost naked. I flinched away, uncomfortable.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"Kevin, you've been feeling anger lately, no?" Sam asked, ignoring my question.

My eyes wandered to his shirt and pants in a pile just a few feet away. "I have," I answered.

"Summon all that anger at once," he ordered as if he were telling me to wash the dishes.

"Um, okay," I closed my eyes, feeling the anger rushing though my body in flashes of heat easier than I had been anticipating. It came so strongly that my arms started trembling.

"Good, embrace the heat, embrace the anger. Now, for the hardest part, imagine that all in the body of a wolf." Sam's voice was smooth, as if he had gone over this with many people.

It was easy to see the wolf. Some sort of supernatural instinct gave it short, almost handsome tan fur, spotted darker brown throughout. It had sandy eyes. Difficulty came when I tried to force all my anger into the wolf. I started trembling harder, heat coursing through my body rapidly.

Drastically, something happened. I wasn't sure what, but it was a relief. All my anger faded to a dull throb, as it seemed I had more body to contain it. It sounded like something was ripped as I jumped, landing on my feet. Okay… now that I felt all fine again I could probably find out what the point of this was.

Only then did I open my eyes and get the greatest shock of my life.

Sam was about a foot shorter than me. There was a distraction at the edge of my vision. It was black and a little bit of the tan I had imagined on the wolf. Taking a step back to clear my line of sight, I stumbled. There were two extra legs attached to my body. Something unnatural was spouted from my spine. I felt large, almost fluffy.

Turning to look at my side, I saw a pelt. Below me, tufts of what apparently were my clothes lay shredded to worthlessness. I glanced at Sam.

I was the wolf, the very wolf I had seen in my vision.

Panic engulfed me. I jumped, but stumbled on my two extra feet. I struggled to do anything natural, but I was stuck on four legs. Sam was just smirking at me, as if he were impressed.

With grace, Sam leapt into the air. As he reached the peak of his jump, he sprouted legs and a tail so quickly if I had blinked I would've missed it. I felt something off in my mind, as if someone had just joint-connected with my thoughts.

_Welcome to the pack, Kevin._

I yipped and jumped, having a heart attack. It sounded like Sam, but I was in my head! The black wolf stood in Sam's place. By the he expression he wore, it looked as if he had spoken.

_I did speak. Think and I will hear your thoughts._

_ What?_

A smirk crossed the black wolf's muzzle. _Good job. It's a wolf thing. I'll explain, just phase back to a human._

_ H-h-h-how? _My thoughts trembled.

_Remember how you phased into the wolf, well do the opposite. Imagine all your peace of mind into the body of a human._

I did this, closing my eyes in concentration. Within a matter of moments, I'd shrunk back to human size. The black wolf stood, its gaze lingering as it towered above me. But, in a second, it shrunk back into Sam.

"Ah!" I jumped, seeing he was unclothed. Quickly, he put his pants and shirt on. It was only then did I realize why he had wanted me to take my clothes off.

"Dammit!" I jumped, searching desperately for the scraps of clothes I had just destroyed.

Laughter roared from the cabin. "It's okay, Kevin, it will happen often in the next few weeks. That was why all the clothes are inside."

"What are you now, a mind reader?" I growled, confused to a point of anger.

"You must learn to control your anger. If you don't, complications will arise. What would happen if you spouted into a wolf in the middle of school or in public? Nothing good, right?" only now did he assess my original question. "You'll have that question answered more accurately later."

The awkward feeling of not having clothes on had passed, leaving me standing in an off-way as I tried not to think about it. Almost on command, Jarod ran out and handed me shorts. I put them on immediately, sighing in relief. It was obvious they'd gone through this routine before.

"Come inside for Werewolf 101 Training," Jarod chuckled as he trotted back inside.

I did so. What surprised me was it was about 60 degrees, yet I felt perfectly warm.

Inside, there was a chalk board. Sam, Jarod, and Paul stood in the front, the other boys just sitting around. There was a single desk in front of the chalk board. "Have a seat." Paul smirked. "It's time for lesson number two!"

I sat down, watching.

"First, take out the thermometer in the desk. Take your temperature." Sam ordered. Off instinct, I felt propelled to obey – which I did.

"Damn!" I cried, reading the final results. "109 degrees… I should be dead!"

"Exactly. That, 109 degrees Fahrenheit, is your new average temperature." Sam wrote that down on the board, as if it were of some significance, which of course it was.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," I sighed, lost. "What the hell is happening?"

It was then I first learned about The Dawn of the Werewolf – or shape shifter, to be more exact. Sam told me a story about how the packs of werewolves were created by accident from a human Spirit Warrior or such. The purpose of the Werewolf was to kill vampires –which apparently were also real. To protect humans from their greatest enemy was our job; to live in harmony was our goal.

"Hence, the creation of the Werewolf," Jarod concluded their well-rehearsed story.

"Not every generation phases," Paul continued, "only whenever vampires are around. After a while of experience, you'll be able to phase at your will. Until then, just try to save your anger until you're ready to phase."

"Why could I hear Sam in my head? Ya' know when I _phased."_

There was muffled laughter all around.

"Well," Sam began, "we wolves have this… _interesting_ trait. While in our wolf forms, we can hear each other's thoughts. Every single one. We can search through the memories and stuff like that. It isn't always a positive thing, but we try to think of it that way.

"So you're saying…" I tried to keep a straight face, but I was panicked, thinking of all my most precious secrets.

"Yep, welcome to the wolf pack, we have no secrets." Paul smirked.

"Now, Kevin," Sam said the words slowly, "over the next few weeks, you're going to be learning all about werewolves and vampires. About the different Covens of vampires and packs of werewolves. About imprinting and all other wolfy habits.

"Imprinting?"

"We'll get to that." Jarod smirked. "But now, it's time for your first run with the pack."

**Good? Bad? Meh? Well, thanks for reading! I'll upload the next chapter in a day or two. I promise there'll be a little more interesting and longer.**


	3. Chapter 2

**I wanted to get this chapter posted before I go to school… so if it has a few grammatical errors, I didn't get time to polish it completely. Anyway I was looking through all my chapters and I realized that this one is also fairly short compared to others… so again, I promise it will get longer and more interesting. : ) Thanks for reviewing!**

Part Two – Kevin's POV

It was amazing, running through the forest. The pawsteps surrounding me, the pine needles beneath my paws, and the companionship of my pack.

And then there were the synchronized minds.

_Hey, Quil imprinted!_

_ Was it on a two year old?_

_ Not funny, Paul._

_ Yes it is, I have rights!_

_ And apparently privacy isn't one of them. _My voice was sour. I didn't like the feeling that everyone knew my thoughts.

_Don't worry, you'll get used to it, Kevin. _Collin's voice was empathetic. He was the youngest wolf at 13 years.

_So, Collin, what's this whole imprinting thing?_

With no privacy, I got a whole pack of answers.

_It's like, finding your soul mate._

_ Falling in love._

_ It's a wolf thing, humans don't go through it._

_ It takes out the stress of dating!_

_ Guys, I got this, _Sam said. He was the first one to imprint, after all, or so he was thinking. _It's when you meet your soul mate. It's like, gravity. Suddenly, it's not earth holding you down; it's _her_, whoever she may be. _This, like all their explanations, was well rehearsed. _You would be anything for her – a friend, a brother, a protector. She is your whole life, forever._

_ And that's the reason for our most sacred law, _Jarod was very serious._ The most important, undeniable law in the Wolf's Code. Never, in _any _situation, can you kill the imprinted object of one wolf._

_ Why? _I couldn't stop the thought. I'd have to work on that.

The pack had drawn to a halt, all wolves staring at me seriously. _If one wolf kills the object of imprintation of another wolf – even on accident – there will be a fight to the death. The wolf whose love has died doesn't care anymore, and will be suicidal after that. He will have nothing to live for. _Jarod said.

_ So never, in any case, kill the imprinted object of another wolf. _Sam was speaking again. _You will understand better once you imprint. Until then, you have a direct line to all our minds._

Suddenly, they were all thinking about imprinting. It was truly as they had said: her being the center of the earth. Her face, her hair, her voice, her, her, her. It was quite annoying, actually. I almost hoped I'd never imprint.

I feel that if I'd said that out loud, no one would've bothered to answer me. But with their thoughts linked to mine, I could barely make out a sentence.

The only voice that I heard clearer than the others was Brady. _I hear ya, Bro, but you can't go thinking that as a wolf._

_ Ugh, I know. This whole no privacy thing isn't too handy. I guess I'll just have to get used to it… at least that's what Sam keeps thinking._

Sam broke into our conversation, his voice loud for all to hear. _Come, brothers, it's time to go back to the cabin!_

Howls of consent greeted him as we turned around, running back to the cabin. _So, how many kids are expected to phase? _I asked Brady. He was also fairly new to the pack, making me feel that I wasn't completely alone.

_Honestly, none of us are sure. Anyone in the Uley or Black bloodlines. There were basically two families that phased. That is why both Sam and Jacob – the opposing Alpha – are Alpha material. Both of their Grandfathers were opposing chiefs. _

_I've heard of Jacob, especially from Sam's thoughts. He really left you guys hanging, didn't he?_

_ Yes. And then he imprinted on… the baby. _Brady snorted, as if disgusted. _How is that even possible? I've never heard of a werewolf imprinting on another werewolf, let alone a werewolf imprinting on a vampire! It just revolts me!_

_ Well, I'm sure what the person is doesn't matter as much as who the person is. _

_ It is now more or less a complication. We can't touch the leeches, or else Jacob's wrath fueled by his soul mates feelings will be upon us. _Brady sighed.

_What exactly happened? I'm only getting bits and pieces._

He huffed a laugh. _Don't worry! You'll be hearing all about it in Battles of the Pack, a lesson for later this week. _

_ Great. _I was impressed by the sarcastic tone I could manage. 

_ Ready, set, phase! _Sam's orders stunned me. With that, I collected myself and all my calmness, forcing it into a tiny human body. I phased so I was human. It felt awkward, not having clothes on, but none of the other boys had them on so I guess it shouldn't be weird, should it?

It didn't matter. It still was.

We got inside and I immediately put clothes on, sitting in the desk. The chalk board had only three neat numbers written on it, yet. 109 – My new average body temperature.

"Okay," Sam said, standing in the front of the classroom. He wrote on the board: 'Weird Werewolf Body Changes.' Oh boy, my first day as a werewolf and I got 'The Talk.'

I groaned, causing many people to laugh.

"As you've noticed, your body temperature is now at a regular of 109 degrees, correct?" Sam asked.

"Yes…" where was this conversation going?

"So, say you were injured – a broken bone or something severe that would take weeks of healing. Why can't you go to the hospitable?"

"Because," I realized the answer suddenly, "I'm dead!"

"Exactly!" Sam made a bullet mark and wrote next to it, 'Rapid Healing' in bold letters. "We werewolves heal very quickly due to the fact we can't go to a hospitable without someone freaking out. It only takes about half an hour for a broken bone to mend."

"Cool!" that was very exciting, actually.

He made another bullet mark with the words 'Delayed Aging' next to it. "Another thing you will notice is that you will not grow older due to a pause in your lifetime. Once you stop phasing, your life shall continue as normal."

This went on a while, going over the many categories of physical changes I should be experiencing.

After a long day of going over every single werewolf trait, Sam finally called it a night. "Okay, everyone, bed time. Choose a bunk and sleep. Tomorrow morning, Kevin's first hunt!"

Woots of excitement howled through the air as everyone chose a bed, settling down for night. I did so, choosing the bed closest to the outdoors. With the new body temperature, I almost felt hot. I needed it to be cooler.

Brady took a bed next to mine, being more encouraging than the rest. He seemed friendly enough, maybe he'd be my friend in the pack, considering Cohl probably wasn't going to phase anytime soon.

The next two weeks kept in a steady order.

Day Two: Vampires. How to kill them, how they kill you. Their characteristics and the difference between dangerous ones and not-so-bad ones.

Day Three: Imprinting. A full day of that just became too much to bare.

Day Four: How to tolerate reading really disturbing thoughts from someone else, such as them taking a shower or having a romantic night with their true love. Joy.

Day Five: The pack. The rules, the codes, the responsibilities.

Day Six: Quileute Legends: The bloodline of the few families of Werewolves, born and bred.

Day Seven: Test Day, evaluation of all I'd learned.

Day Eight: The Cullen's, a specific group of vampires that lived a town over. All their members.

Day Nine: The Black Pack, led by Jacob Black, lover of Renesmee and protector of the Cullen's. The history of his leaving.

Day Ten: Great Battles of the Pack – against Victoria and elsewise.

Day Eleven: Hunting Evaluation, eating. Can you do it in wolf form?

Day Twelve: Phasing Evaluation – how to control your inner wolf.

Day Thirteen: How to keep The Secret from your family, do's and don't's.

Day Fourteen: Final Evaluation. Go Home.

And just like that, the two weeks were up. I could return home to my ordinary life.

When I first got home from the island, I was relieved. No more bugs or the constant company of my pack. But, when I realized that I'd be keeping this secret from my parents, yet have to be an active member of the pack, I wasn't as enthusiastic.

How the hell was I supposed to do that?

"Kevin!" my mom greeted me with a tight hug that I suppose should have crushed me, but thanks to one of the many physical changes, I was able to tolerate it. "My, you've grown!" It was true; I was now over half a foot taller than when I'd left.

My dad was next, giving me a firm handshake. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, Dad. It's been a nightmare, the last two weeks."

"Tell us all about it!" Mom pleaded, thrilled that I was back and fine.

"Oh, ha, I can't, ya know, camp rules!" I laughed nervously.

Both of them were disappointed, but they got over that pretty easily.

Finally, I could sleep in my own bed, in my own room, in my own head, for now.

I slept long that night, long and hard. I had a dream that I was running through the forest as a wolf. Suddenly, my whole pack was there, and all the people that had been imprinted on. Strong feelings I had felt from each of their brains rushed through me in memory. I remembered kissing Emily – horrifying as it was, I found that the least disturbing! There were many worse things to remember.

Gasping awake, I leapt to my feet. I thought I had woken from natural causes, but that's when I heard the howl. Sam was summoning us.

Without thinking, I flung open the window and jumped outside. It was raining, causing mud to splash onto my legs. Good thing I didn't have anything but pants on, for it would've been dirty.

I ran toward the forest, remembering not to phase until I was out of sight. Unless it was an emergency, this was vital for secrecy. As I got to my destination, I took my pants off and tucked them into that thing on my ankle. I summoned my anger into my inner wolf, my phasing becoming smoother each time.

Now a wolf, I ran with the power of the beast toward where Sam was, aware as more minds linked to mine.

_What's going on?_

_ Why hasn't Sam phased yet?_

_ He must be waiting to tell us together._

Another howl greeted us, telling us where to meet.

Ignoring the rapid thoughts of my pack, I leapt into the meeting place, seeing Sam-human with Jarod-wolf and Paul-wolf.

_What's happening? _I asked them.

Jarod shook his head. _I don't know, Kevin, Sam won't share anything with us._

Brady ran up next to me, his paws itching. _Hey, Kevin! _He greeted, panting from his run.

_Hey, Brady._

The rest of the pack arrived. Sam took off his shorts and phased into the large black wolf, letting us pick off his mind in scraps.

Jacob had asked for a meeting down by the border. For what, the reasons were uncertain, but Sam wanted the whole pack to come, now.

_We will not be found unprepared, though,_ he stated. _Jacob doesn't know of Kevin's phasing. Paul, Jarod and I will go to meet them as head-on wolves. Brady, you will run eastern flank of the perimeter as human. Kevin, you'll run western flank of the border as human. The rest of you will stay back to protect our land. Got it?_

I barked my consent. Great! My first mission and I had a special part! It was a dream come true!

We ran to the border, faster than the speed of light. _Kevin, Brady, phase to positions_

_Yes, Sam. _Our minds said in sync.

_When I howl, phase back and meet us._

_ Okay, Sam._

With the words echoing in my mind, I stepped away from the pack, summoning my inner coolness and phasing with a blink. Easy, though phasing to was better.

I began running the border, knowing it from one of the Cullen lessons I'd received.

A scent stirred the air, catching me by surprise. I bared my teeth, not phasing yet, though. I paused behind a bush, staring across the border. Whatever was there had noticed me, too, for it was looking.

I hadn't a clue what it was, for it smelled different. It was then that I gracefully looked over the border, and my mouth dropped.

Standing on the other side of the border was a girl, a beautiful girl. I couldn't see her clearly, but she struck me as this.

It was then she turned around, and I looked into her eyes.

The world stopped moving, leaving me staggering at a halt. Who was I? The answer lay before me. Who I'd thought I was – with my skills and all – they didn't matter. Not my family, not my friends, not my pack. They no longer made me who I was; they were simply the gravity that I thought had been holding me to the earth.

But now that form gravity was useless. My center had shifted like the earth, and now my world was evolved around this one, beautiful stranger whom I'd just laid my eyes upon for the first time. Whatever she needed me to be for her – a friend, a brother, a guardian, an inspiration – I would be that for her. Whenever she needed me, I would be here. Through sickness or health, my loyalty would never waver.

Yet, the most significant part of this experience wasn't the way my whole world changed. No, it was looking into her face.

It was looking into her face, and realizing that she felt the _**exact same way.**_

**Duhn don duhhhhnnn. Okay… so good? Bad? Please review! I'll have the third chapter up ASAP.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I was going to wait… but I decided what the heck. I haven't had time to polish it recently due to the face I'm sneaking on my computer now so… yah. Anyway, enjoy. : )**

Part 3: Kevin's POV

I hadn't realized it until a moment after. I'd imprinted. Two weeks of being a werewolf and I'd imprinted. Was it always this easy?

Probably not.

But the answer still evaded me. Who was this girl whom I'd imprinted on?

Who was this girl who had imprinted on me?

"H-hello," my voice wasn't reliable. Her presence dazzled me. She had shortish long black hair which was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a dark green tank top, plaid over-shirt, and a faded pair of blue jeans that were short. Her eyes – a deep, rich brown color – caught me, trapping me. This was more intense than anything I'd felt from Sam or anyone. There must be a huge bit of emotions not stated in the imprinting process between a wolf and his soul mate.

"Hi," her voice hardly wavered. A brave no-nonsense woman that feels she doesn't need a man, nice. I'd never know that was my type.

"I'm Kevin Clark," I offered, trying not to sound like I was hopelessly adoring her. These feelings were awfully forceful – in a word. I was much more attracted to her than anyone else.

Maybe this was because I couldn't have her.

"Leah Clearwater." Her eyes judged me carefully. Without a doubt, I could see emotions struggling in her head. So she was composing herself! I wasn't the only one with feelings – what a relief.

"Nice to meet you, Leah." I cocked my brow in a way that successfully made a smile break her face. "Where do you come from?"

"Oh, I – I don't really have a home… but I used to live in La Push." She tried to attain a solemn mood, but my presence seemed to make that impossible.

"I live in La Push!" I offered. "I'm from the Uley family blood lines," I'd learned that on one of my days in 'rehabilitation.'

"I'm from the Cameron family blood lines. Most of my family hasn't… survived. The only ones I know are my mom, my brother, and my cousin – Jarod."

"Jarod's your cousin?" I asked. "I know him!"

She laughed lightly. "He's a… cool guy."

I didn't understand the hesitation in her words. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Suddenly, I couldn't think of anything to say. My brain was trying to tell me something, yet my heart didn't want to listen. Why? I didn't know; my brain couldn't seem to get the message through.

She crossed her arms and leaned to the side, watching me. She blinked a few times and looked about to say something, but she didn't. I felt like I knew her – but I couldn't seem to place my finger on it…

"Kevin!" Brady nearly ran into me, breaking me from my trance. "Kevin, dude, we're leaving! Didn't you hear the howl?"

"No…" I shook my head, hardly taking my eyes from Leah.

"Why- oh." His voice was suddenly bitter. "What are you doing here?"

I was about to turn on him, to scream at him for talking to her that way – when the pieces of the puzzle finally seemed to click into place. What my brain had been saying had finally reached my heart. I _did_ know this girl. She was the _enemy._

Leah Clearwater – ex member of the Uley Pack, now a loyal trooper of the Black Pack. Helped Jacob Black and her brother – Seth Clearwater – to save Bella and her unborn baby whose name was now Renesmee, whose heart now belonged to Jacob.

Leah Clearwater – who had caused so much heart break and pain in my pack. Who had loved Sam and hated him at the same time – who had just wanted to be wanted.

Well, now she was wanted now. But that was never going to happen. She was that toy in the claw-machine that was just out of my reach. No matter how many dollars I put in, I'd never be able to get her.

Except this was worse than any toy. She wasn't shielded by strong glass – no! But an invisible border, yes, an invisible border separated us! Stupid, silly pack rivalry separated us!

Nothing, but everything separated us.

Answering his question, Leah snarled, "I'm just running the border, Brady. That's not illegal, is it? Or has Sam requested another change to the treaty?"

Anger flashed from Brady. "Come on, Kevin, we have a pack to catch up with." In a flat second, he was phased and gone.

Now it was just us again. "You're from the Black Pack," I whispered.

"And you're from the Uley Pack." Her reply was solemn.

No, _no._ This wouldn't work. I had to get out of there, _now._ "Good-bye, Leah." I shook my head and started running.

As I reached the forest, I turned for one last look at her. She shook her head once and sighed. She jumped, phasing in mid-leap and started running as the most beautiful silver wolf I'd ever seen – the most beautiful silver wolf I would ever see. Her howl to her pack mates echoed in the hills, clear and strong.

Dammit, I had a soul mate _and_ she was hot, but I couldn't be with her!

I ran for home, not wanting to phase, not wanting to share all my thoughts. I had enough time to go to school yet. I hadn't been in two weeks so I'd better go today.

Brady was already at the bus stop when I arrived. He had my backpack waiting for me. "Hey, Kevin, what took you so long?"

"I didn't feel like phasing." With Leah on my mind, all my anger was deceased. I probably couldn't have phased if I'd wanted to.

This seemed to puzzle him. Phasing was one of the best, most exhilarating things about being a werewolf. But, compared to Leah in my mind, it seemed to lack luster now. "You feelin' okay, dude? You've seemed a little off since I found you with Leah. She didn't cause you any trouble – did she?"

"No, " the complete opposite. "She said nothing that was meant to upset me. She seemed really nice – in fact." I threw that in for her benefit.

"Ha, nice one, ha!" he laughed as if I had told a joke. When he saw my serious expression, he became confused. "Wait, she was really nice?"

"Yeah, I have no idea what you guys have against her."

"Next time you phase, I'll give you a full rerun of many unpleasant encounters we've had with her over the years." His voice was bitter. I felt so horrible, unable to defend her without giving myself away, so I just clenched my fists and tried to contain my anger. I couldn't phase now.

More people arrived to wait for the bus then, so the conversation ended. I sat in a seat alone on the bus, my silence confusing Brady. I was usually friendly to talk to. No doubt he'd be eager to read my thoughts next phase.

But what if there wasn't a next phase? Ha! I'd just become a werewolf – I couldn't think about leaving, could I?

School was painfully slow. Every second seemed to tick by slower. I tried to pay attention, but my personal problems didn't seem to want to let me. The most I got out of any of the classes was that they were glad I was feeling better and told me I had so many things to make up – and then I spaced.

Lunch was the worst. There they were, the doors. So wide and welcoming to let me run away to the boundary where I could wait for her. I probably would've made a run for it, hadn't Cohl kept me rooted to my seat. He asked me what'd happened and all that stuff. I hate to say that I didn't tell him much, but my mind kept wandering. I couldn't forget my favorite subject: how to deal with my soul mate?

Pretend she didn't exist? Perhaps. Tomorrow was a new day; I'd forget her, right? Sneak to see her, ha! As if… wolf telegraphy. Confront her. And say what? Behind every meadow of hope lay walls of concrete – complications that refused to let me cross.

By the time I got home, I felt like I'd been mentally abusing myself all day. My mom greeted me with a huge smile, at least. "Kevin! How was your first day back?"

"Hell," I groaned as I made my way to my room.

This confused her, but she didn't question me further.

For that night, I lay on my bed. I didn't move, even when Mom told me dinner was ready if I wanted some. I didn't. The highlight of my evening was bed time. Maybe I would sleep it off. Maybe I could just forget I had imprinted. Maybe a little peace-of-mind would come to me.

If the next day was anything, it was worse.

It physically pained me to move. My muscles were sore from lying hours on end and not moving in the same position. My stomach growled with hunger, but I didn't feel like I could eat a thing without being sick. Foulest of all was my mental state. I had gone into a dull, hazy state of mind that didn't care about anything. I didn't even think about Leah now, but she was there. She was lurking where I couldn't see her, causing me this tragic state of mind.

"Kevin, honey, aren't you hungry? You didn't eat dinner." Mom was worried, offering me a glass of water.

"No, Mom." My stomach protested but I didn't hear it. After a sip of water, I set it back down. My throat burned from dryness.

"Drink the water. I don't know what's happening to you or what's caused this, but you need to drink the water." She got that look on her face that warned me to do as she said.

"Okay." My voice was tight with the pain. I drank a drop. Slowly, the glass drained. Sip by sip.

As I walked to the bus stop, I was met by Brady, again. "Hey, Kevin. Feeling better today?"

I answered him without a word, my face smoldering.

"Oh," his hopes dropped. "What's happening? You need to phase. We need to feel what your feeling and why."

"No, you don't!" my voice was harsher than I intended.

He flinched. "You better lighten up! There's a meeting tonight at midnight – be there or be screwed!"

"I'm screwed." My response was quick and rolled off my tongue smoothly as I accepted who I was.

School was the exact same. I struggled through, but I thought about nothing. My brain was a barren wasteland that couldn't seem to get a coherent idea.

Not a thing changed. I went home and lay in bed, unmoving. I wasn't hungry. I wasn't thirsty. I wasn't tired. I was numb. I was immune to all feelings.

A howl echoed through the night, bringing me to realization how late it was. More howls answered, stirring a deep instinct within me. This instinct forced me to move. I couldn't ignore it. After generations of flourishing through my bloodlines, it wasn't about to let me break the streak.

I jumped out of the window, running toward the howl. I let out a 'whoop.' It was dull and announcing, not showing any excitement whatsoever.

Everyone was in wolf form when I arrived. They stared at me like I was a maniac, all confused. Sam growled at me. I didn't need to read his thoughts to hear his question. He was asking why I wasn't phasing.

"Sam, can I have a phase alone with you?" my request was the most I'd said all day, which seemed to register in someone's thoughts. Sam nodded, glaring at the rest of the pack in a silent demand.

One by one, humans emerged from the bodies of the wolves. They all glanced at me with questioning stares, but I ignored them. Gathering all my anger – about everything I'd felt in the last few days, even in the numb parts – I began trembling violently. Now that the numbness was gone, bitter waves coursed through me faster than ever before.

In a split second, I phased.

_What is it, Kevin?_

_ Read, Sam, just read. _I felt ashamed having to share all my feelings with him. But, on the positive side, maybe he could help. While he would read, I stared at my paws.

A moment passed; then two and three. Sam was evaluating, but I didn't pay attention. I was imagining the riot that would surge when all this was announced.

After five minutes had passed, Sam spoke to me. _That's it? _He seemed more confused than anything. _That's all? You've imprinted?_

_ Yes, that's it._

_ Kevin, you've no reason to be ashamed. We all imprint._

I cast him a glare. _But what are we going to do, Sam? I can't cross treaty boundaries. I can't belong to two packs. I can't live with a paw in two worlds._

_ Then you have to choose, Kevin. _His returning look was fierce. _You need to choose us. Pack over anything. Bros before… Leah._

_ Would you leave Emily for the pack?_

_ This isn't about me._

Of course, he evaded the question! _ What about the others?_

_ We're going to tell them… as human._

_ Now?!_

_ Yes. Now, phase._

Taking a deep breath, I summoned all the calm I could find in my body, phasing at an unnaturally slow pace. I skimmed around at my brothers in uncertainty.

"Well," Jarod glanced from me to Sam, waiting.

"Kevin imprinted." Sam began.

"Really?" Collin hadn't picked up the foul mood yet. "That's great!"

"But?" Brady asked, knowing that was the reason of my depression.

"But…" Sam glanced at me, waiting for me to say.

"But, I can't be with her." The words stuck to my throat, causing a surge of pain to rush through me as I thought of her – as her wolf, her howl, her human, her eyes. Her, her, her.

"Why the hell not?" Paul was angry. I guessed it was nothing compared to what he'd be like in a minute…

"Because…" I stumbled on my words. "Because I imprinted on Leah Clearwater."

Silence. Dead silence. At least it wasn't the outrage I'd been expecting.

And then Paul spoke. "You. Imprinted. On. Leah. _Clearwater?"_

"I imprinted on Leah Clearwater," I confirmed again.

"But… but she's so… so…" Jarod seemed lost for words.

"So what?" I growled, imagining her in the forest – a perfect angle.

"She's so annoying! She pisses us off! When she left, we were all relieved and then she joined the Leeches! Who could love that damned creature?" Paul yelled, waving his hands in gestures.

Fire – pure, untamed, searing fire encircled me. My vision became a tight red, focusing on Paul alone and no one else. Their cries to calm me were lost in my ears – a dull ringing. I trembled pugnaciously. Once every single atom of my being had felt this anger, it exploded. The fury raced through my now larger self, multiplying as it did. The wolf inside me had resurrected itself. Now it would feast.

Paul had jumped back and was trembling. No matter. I sprang toward him, a ripping snarl cutting the air – the only noise that I was aware of. As I sunk my razor teeth into his human shoulder, he grew, letting me crash into him. I turned to counter him before I had even regained my footing.

_Kevin, calm down!_ Sam's demand had no register in my mind. I was on Paul again, biting at his muzzle. He fought back, slicing my sides with his claws and snapping at my ear. I whined in pain and hurled myself onto him, pushing us both over into the mud. There he struggled as our legs became tangled. I snapped at his neck, but he caught my ear. I backed away a step, giving him just enough room to stand again.

Now that we were standing – which only lasted a second – someone tried to interfere. I'm not sure who, but they earned a clip on the shoulder from me as I made my way at Paul again. My claws sliced into his chest as I pushed him over, biting viciously at his neck with no control.

_Kevin, don't kill him! He's your brother! _Sam's voice was louder this time, making its way through the fire and ringing. I froze, my teeth slicing at his throat as he gasped for air. I didn't move, and neither did he. We both stood there, eyes locked on each other, not wanting to back away from a fight but knowing how dire the situation was.

_That's it. Slowly release your hold on his neck._

My jaw trembled, slowly beginning to let his precious, exposed neck go.

_Back away._

I took a step away, struggling not to let the red take control of me again as my vision was returning to normal.

_Paul, apologize._

_ But-_

_ Now._

_I'm sorry, Kevin._

_ Kevin, accept the apology._

Half of me – my wolf side – pleaded not to accept it. My human side got the better of me. _I accept your apology, Paul. _My voice was begrudging.

I looked up. Everyone was a wolf, their thoughts silent. Only Sam spoke. _Kevin, are you sure you imprinted on Leah?_

_ No, I'm just feeling this way over some crush. What do you think, Sam? _My tone was bitingly harsh.

_I've decided that we should consult Jacob before we do anything drastic. _

_ Now? _Hope surged through me. I could imagine Leah – the moonlight on her fur, the glow in her eyes, her bark echoing in space…

_Dude, we don't need to hear that… _Paul complained, earning another growl from Sam.

_Yes, now. _Sam glanced around the pack. _Kevin, you will come with me. We don't want to seem like an attack party. Everyone else, go home. You need your rest._

Complaints flew, but after a bark from Sam, the pack broke up obediently, some people phasing and others simply leaving. In a matter of ten minutes, Sam and I were alone.

He instructed me clearly as we started running. _You will _not _cross the boundary. You will stay obediently, emotionlessly at my side. Do you understand, Kevin?_

_ Yes, Sir._

_ Good._

We reached the border. Sam howled for Jacob, a greeting returned not a moment later. _They're on their way. No emotions, Kevin._

They approached soundlessly. A large russet wolf, obviously Jacob. A multi-colored wolf that must have been Seth. And finally, the last one to approach with the grace of the supernatural creature she was – Leah. Her silver fur smoldered in the moonlight, causing my breathing to become uneven.

_Kevin,_

_ Sorry._

I could hear Jacob's voice through Sam's thoughts. _Why have you summoned us, Sam? _As if he didn't know!

_I would like to introduce our newest member, Kevin. _He pointed his snout at me.

_Ah, the famous Kevin! _Jacob's voice was a harsh laugh. Leah snapped her teeth, a glare from Jacob silencing her. _Why do you present us with Kevin?_

_ You know, Jacob._

_ Indeed, I guess we do._ Seth had turned to Leah, some unheard thought connecting the three of them. She growled at him lightly. Even her growl had a beautiful tone.

_Then what do you suggest? _Sam was tired. I wasn't noticing anything, staring at Leah and listening with my entire mind for any vital information.

Jacob cast a glance at Leah. She bowed her head and whimpered, staring at the ground. Was she okay? Was our visit causing her distress? Should we leave? _Chill, Kevin. It'll work out._

_ It depends. How does Kevin feel exactly?_

I couldn't hold back a cry of embarrassment as Sam started going over and sharing all my thoughts with Jacob. I hid my face with my paw in the mud the best I can. When I glanced up, I think I could see Leah watching me.

_Well you spilled all my guts, how does she feel? _My tone was urgent.

_One moment and I'll ask. _His voice was harsh.

_Wow… that's, intense. _Jacob stuttered over the words.

_And Leah's thoughts?_ Sam cocked his brow. I tried not to look eager.

It all rushed to me with a wave of satisfaction. Distress, anger, longing, regret, and too many other emotions to name. Suddenly I felt rotten, invading her privacy. Now that I knew I wasn't alone, I didn't want to feel her pain – it hurt worse than my own.

_We can't allow it! _I could barely hold back the anger I was aiming at Sam. I suppressed it with a light snap of my jaws.

_I object. Sam, we can't put either of them through too much more pain. What if we bent the treaty just for them? _I liked where Jacob's thoughts were headed. He wasn't so bad after all. _Every day, once a day, they have rights to cross into enemy land to meet. _

_ Jake…_

_ Sam, you don't want to feel the pain we'd be putting them through. Besides, when a wolf imprints, they can't control it. They _have_ to be with her, or him. _

Sam glanced at me alone. _Kevin, it's not safe._

_ Are you saying she'd betray our trust? _The anger was coming back to me, ever so slowly. I snarled.

_No, I'm saying… never mind. _He spoke for Jacob now. _We will accept this law in the treaty. Once a day. _He warned me. _Starting tomorrow._

_ Great! Thanks Sam!_ Relief rushed through my veins as Jacob accepted.

It was going to work. I could be with Leah! Uncontainable joy made my tail wag, and I could see it on her face too. She smiled at me, eyes bright. I couldn't wait to meet her.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Yay, the first real KevinXLeah moment. : ) I'm not sure what state of mind I was in when I wrote this… but it's interesting to look back now and see what I came up with. XD Anyway... I've always been more comfortable writing stories with the main characters as wolves so this was fun and I hope you all enjoy it! **

Part 4: Kevin's POV

My cereal wouldn't go down fast enough. I gulped it in huge spoonfuls, but it didn't seem to help. Mom, at least, was pleased to see me eating again.

"Have a good day at school!"

"See ya later, Mom!" I ran to the bus stop, energy coursing through me.

"Hello, Kevin!" wooted Brady, glad to see me back. "What happened last night?"

I trembled from excitement. Last night – I was still trying to think it wasn't a dream. But I hadn't slept at all thanks to the buzz of emotions passing through me. "We made a deal, I can see Leah every day, it's part of the Treaty."

"You mean she'll be coming over into _our _territory?" his eyes clouded.

"Yah, it's great!"

"Great…" he sighed. He probably was worried about 'how she would spy on us' and crap like that.

"You're loss," I chuckled as the bus pulled up. "She seems perfect! Beautiful, tough, a hint of nice,"

"Nice!" he scoffed. "If you insist!"

If it was slow before, school was hell now. Every second ticked by as if the clock were covered in molasses. I couldn't wait for when I would be able to run to the border to meet her. I'd have to go home and tell Mom first, of course. Maybe I should start walking to school; I'd get there and home much faster with my power and all.

I resolved to running home, phasing for a part of the forest. I was so excited I'd nearly forgotten to take my clothes off. That would've been bad.

Mom was home, as usual. "Hey, Mom!" I said, setting my schoolwork down. "I was wondering if I could go hang out with a friend of mine?"

"Do you have homework?"

Dammit. The one question… "Yes, but-"

"No buts. Do your homework first."

Curses screamed in my head. I ran to my room, unsettled. I had so much homework… maybe I should wait and go tonight? We hadn't set a time, just whenever either of us howled for the other.

I went to bed early, twitching as I waited for them to go fall asleep. When they finally did, I didn't take the precaution to delay and make sure they didn't check on me. I jumped out the window and ran to the woods, not getting out of my clothes fast enough. I phased – which was difficult to summon the anger for – and burst toward the border with rocketing speed.

As it approached, I skidded to a halt, literally pushing up a pound of dirt and gravel. I lifted my head and howled – nothing in comparison to what her howl had been.

Not a minute later, her howl greeted me, exuberant if anything. I phased, dressing before she would approach.

She arrived, her beautiful silver fur shimmering. "Leah?" I asked stupidly.

Phasing while I couldn't see, she responded, "Yes… Kevin?"

"The one and only."

"I'm sure there're plenty of other Kevin's out there," she replied. While her words seemed brittle, I picked up a faint joke behind them.

"The one and only important one." I rephrased my comeback, almost feeling absurd as I stared across Treaty Lines.

"Well…" she took a step to the border so she was nearly across, her eyes uncertain.

"How about I cross over there first?" I asked.

"Good idea." She side-stepped, waiting for me to join her. She fidgeted lightly in what I hoped was anticipation.

Taking a slight breath, I crossed over. Though I knew it wasn't an actual border – I felt free. This was the closest I'd been to her. It felt nice.

"Want to run?" she asked. I knew she meant wolf form. The thought was exhilarating.

"Yeah, sure!" I replied, looking for a tree to duck behind so I could phase.

She had hid behind a rather large bush. I heard the shiver of air as she phased and excitement got the best of me. I leapt, phasing at the height of my jump. Clothes shredded.

_ Oh crap._

_ What?_

I was surprised to hear her voice. I glanced up, muzzle gaping. _You- you can hear my thoughts? _My mind flashed over every little embarrassing thing I didn't want her to know.

_Somewhat – you can hear me, can't you? I mean, I can hear what_ y_ou want me to hear._

Thank goodness. _Well, that's nice. _

_ What were you 'Oh crap'-ing? _Her voice flowed flawlessly inside my head.

_Technical difficulties. _I pointed my snout at the fabric – torn to pieces around my paws.

I could just make out a faint laugh in her mind as she leered, glancing up at me. She took a step toward me, nipping lightly at my ear – causing a tingling sensation to arise where she touched. _Come on, Mister No-Clothes. Let's run!_

Yes! Time to run! I started sprinting as fast as I could, trying to show off a little. Before I knew what had happened, she caught up to me. _You'll have to be faster than that. _She bounded in front of me, her bushy tail tickling my nose as she darted off to the side.

Skidding to a turn, I followed her, panting as her trail twisted and turned in confusing ways. _It takes more than a few bends to throw me off! _I warned her.

_As you wish. _There was a devilish ring to her voice, and she was gone in a whish of fur.

_Leah? _Where was she? I raced ahead, trying to pick up speed. I was too bulky, the forest was too thick. I wished for her lithe shape – how easy it made running!

_Kevin? _She answered inside my head. I snarled playfully and sprang down the lightly trodden way destructively.

It was clear where she had run, until suddenly the path came to a dead end – no more flattened ferns or broken twigs. _Leah? _My voice was a little more anxious this time.

Her smooth bark answered me from behind as I was pushed to the ground. Her smirk and triumphant eyes greeted me. She licked my cheek. _Why worry about me when you're the one getting pinned by a She-be-wolf?_

My teeth bared lightly in a snarl/grin. _Well She-be-wolf is now going down! _I rolled out from under her, jumping to my paws and lowering my head just before my shoulders. My tail wagged playfully, inviting her to attack.

And so she did. She bit me – not hard, of course – at my scruff fur. I cried and turned to swipe her with my paw, but she was already gone. In a flick of silver, I was on the ground, her narrow muzzle inches from mine.

_Never give up, never surrender! _I yelped out loud as I pushed upward, attempting to wrap my teeth around her tender neck.

Yet again, she was gone. How did she do that? Her presence was restated when I was hit in the side by a rocketing force. Pummeled over, I struggled to regain my footing. I slipped in the mud, landing on my back.

Before I could stand, she was in front of me. The wind played with her moon enshrouded fur, teasing my nose with her saccharine scent. Her eyes – chocolate brown – were reflecting amusement and affection as she gazed at me.

I was done. I couldn't attack her now that she'd gone off and dazzled me. _You win. _I lay my head on the ground, placing my paw over my muzzle. _She-be-wolf one, Mister No-Clothes none._

_ Damn straight. _She ambled over to me, placing her nose against my cheek and wagging her tail. She sniffed for a moment and snorted as if content. _You are a funny one – Kevin. How long have you been a wolf? _She took a step back, sitting and staring at me quizzically.

_Exactly two weeks and a few days. _I sat up as well, shaking my fur as I did so.

_You imprinted young. _

_ Yes, it surprised me immensely as it did many of my pack members._

She flinched as I brought up my pack – her former pack. There seemed to be something she wasn't telling me. _What is it, Leah? What puzzles you?_

Her wolf sighed relief about something or another. _It's just… I thought I was a genetic fraud. I mean, has there ever been a Girl Werewolf in history? No. The whole system of imprinting seems to be surrounding the fact that when a wolf imprints, it is on the person they can pass the genes with best, to keep the wolf in the bloodline._

This new information was very baffling. We imprinted on the people we found would best help to pass the wolf genes on? _And…?_

_ And I thought I was a genetic fraud because if I had been meant to imprint on someone, then I would've been attracted to Sam, but it didn't work that way. _

I shook my head, stepping toward her. _You're wrong. _My voice was gentle. _A wolf imprints when he or she finds their soul mate. Genetics aside, your soul mate is the person whom you'd best pass the gene on with. _

_ I'd thought about that, but it never made sense._

I couldn't hold back a small chuckle at that comment. _It doesn't matter now, _I insisted. _You have imprinted, you are not a fraud. You are a beautiful, amazing creature._

Her blush – even though wolves couldn't technically blush – was unmistakable. _I find that hard to believe. _The reply was harshly a whisper.

_Believe it. Ha, it's ironic – if you think about it. _A smirk traipsed across my deep tan snout. _We never used to believe any of this bologna – vampires, werewolves, pssh! They were all stories! And then, we realized that all the legends were true – for the most parts. The unbelievable was very believable. _I felt like I could prove my point now. _So now, you must believe in this as much as you do our species. _

_ It's easier to imagine – when you put it that way. _She growled lightly, leaning toward me and placing her nose against mine in a friendly way. _But this is… unusual. Most wolves imprint on humans, not other wolves._

A twinkle of amusement thrilled through me. _We're special._

_ But how does it work? _She was puzzled. _With humans, the wolf will be traditional with his imprinted object. We both know how it ends – what do we do?_

_ How about the same? _I took a step away from her, gazing back very seriously. _Leah Clearwater, will you be my girlfriend?_

Her beautiful light chuckle shivered in the air. _Of course, Kevin. _She strode forward, pushing herself into my side and placing her nose against my ear. I smiled and whined, nuzzling her cheek with my snout.

_I guess I should have expected that._

_ Goof._

My tail thumped against the ground. I felt her stiffen beside me. _What is it? _My mind was anxious.

_It's Seth. He's barging in on my thoughts._

Restraining a growl, I glanced at her. _Is he thinking anything that would disturb you? _

_ No, he's just being pretty damn annoying. _This was the most bitter she'd ever sounded.

_Maybe we should go meet him and Jacob… ya know…_

_ Ha! _She snorted sarcastically. _We've just met… let's save the 'Meet the Family' for tomorrow!_

_ Tomorrow, really? _I was interested in meeting the Cullens, the first vampires I'd ever see, and such strange ones! Drinking animal blood and living beside the humans? Fascinating!

Hearing the positive edge to my thoughts, she shrugged her broad, sturdy shoulders. _If you'd like… all they are are a few obnoxious boys, seven vampires and the Leechness Monster ._

I had to laugh at the little joke. _That's a fun nickname._

_ Don't use it in front of Bella. She blew her top when she heard her daughter was named after the Lochness Monster… to see her if she ever found out I'd come up with that nickname…_

_Okay. _I winked. _Your secrets safe with me._

A howl rolled from the westward direction, causing Leah unease. _Jacob doesn't want you here much longer, _she warned me.

_Is he in your head as well? _It felt odd, not being able to hear them but knowing they were there.

_Both of them… observing your every move. _Her voice was lively as she nudged my cheek with the side of her head. _They don't like you very much… you're too, different. You scare them with the effect you seem to have on me. _

Snapping my teeth and growling lightly, I smirked at her. _I'm the big bad wolf! _

A light giggle escaped her as she gazed back at me, a grin wide on her muzzle. _I'm so afraid! _Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

_Yes, be _very_ afraid!_ Lunging back, I snapped my teeth. A snarl rippled in the back of my throat.

Her laugh echoed through my head like a cave – bouncing back and forth. She wasn't quite in the mood for a play fight now, so she simply gazed at me in an affectionate way.

I stared back into her eyes, trying to stay in the present. She blinked slowly and snorted. Her sweet aroma filled my nose.

Two howls ripped the air, approaching. _Crap._

_ What?_

_ They're coming._ She glanced at me sadly. _Jacob doesn't want you to stay too long, he's worried that you're going to get an inside look and lead an attack on the Cullen's and the Leachness Monster personally._

_ Bullshit. As if! _I could almost hear their snarls as she told me all this information.

_I know, but it's better if we start headed toward the border anyhow._

_ I guess… what time is it?_

She seemed to leave for a moment, asking Seth or someone, I suppose. _It's 1:17._

_ Fuck!_ I sighed, not realizing so much time had passed.

_What?_

_ I have school later today. _

_ Sorry, I forgot. _Her voice was half-lifted. _It's been some time since I went to school._

_ Don't be! I'd much rather spend time with you then sleep – even if it results in a sleepless night for me._

_ Kevin, that's sweet,_ her voice was cooing. _But you need sleep._

_ Let me escort you to the border, _I offered, though technically, it was her who should be escorting me.

_That would be delightful. Lead the way, Mister No-Clothes. _

I began trotting in the direction of the border ruefully. I'd have to run wolf-style home as I had no clothes to change into, and then I'd have to hope no one noticed a wolf – or naked human – sneaking through the window of a house.

We reached the border. I crossed over simply, glancing back at her. _Well, then,_ my voice was empty in my head.

She sighed, her shoulders shrugging and a sad, beautiful smile on her face. _Until next time, then, Kevin._

_ Until next time, Leah._

I watched as she hid and phased. Before she left completely, she glanced back at me, her black hair waving in the movement. It had a black sheen and rippled. "Bye,"

_Bye. _I nodded my head awkwardly and turned, sprinting through the forest. If I couldn't stay with her, sleep seemed like the next best thing.

It was about 2:00 when I reached home. No one appeared to be around, so I didn't phase. I walked up to the window, just to realize my head would hardly fit through. With a whine of annoyance, I phased to myself.

Inside the house was much warmer, almost burning me. I hadn't noticed the temperature outside which was a good ten to twenty degrees lower.

In a matter of minutes, I was sound asleep. My thoughts were on Leah. I dreamt about her for the remainder of the night.

When I woke, sunlight blinded my eyes. I moaned and rolled over in my bed, putting a pillow over my head. It was too early, I was too tired. I couldn't go to school.

"Kevin, sweety, it's time for school." Mom opened my door with hardly a creak.

"No, it's too early." I repeated my thoughts, not opening my eyes.

"You have an hour to get ready for school. You haven't slept this late in a while... why is your window open?"

Groggily opening my eyes, I glanced at the sunny window. It was wide open, a cold breeze seeping in. Immediately, I slammed it closed only to watch as Mom walked to my bed. "Are you feeling okay? It's freezing in here!"

Damn werewolf internal heating crap! I wouldn't have realized the window if she didn't point it out. "I'm feeling fine, Mom, I'm just tired."

Time slowed. She held her hand out toward my head which looked in slow-motion due to the horror I felt. She was going to touch my forehead. She was going to feel my heat. She was going to insist on taking my temperature and find out that it was 109 degrees!

But I could do nothing as her hand – ice cold – pressed to my forehead. A gasp escaped her. "Kevin, you're burning up!"

I bit back a sharp response. "Oh, really?" I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'll get the thermometer-"

"No!" I literally almost screamed.

"Why?" she was confused.

"Oh…" Shit. I was trapped. Even if she didn't take my temperature, she'd be feeling my head often. Once she realized I wasn't getting better, she'd confine me to the house and take me to the hospitable where they would most definitely take my temperature. What could I do? "I… it disappeared." I'd have to take care of it later.

"Really? I thought it was in the closet-"

"Mom, would you feel better if I walked or biked myself to the clinic? They could give me a checkup and assure that it's nothing." I was hopeful.

"No, you're not leaving the house! You stay in bed and call me if you need anything, I'll be just out here."

"Okay, but don't come in. I'll be sleeping… and I don't want to be disturbed." I tried not to seem too serious about that.

"Sure, honey… but I'll be in to check on you at noon no matter what!" she gave me a serious glare and left the room, leaving me to plan.

All my exhaustion was gone. I had to consult the pack! I threw open my window, flying out and being sure to close it carefully before rocketing for the forest. Once I was safely in the trees, I leapt to a phase quicker than I'd ever done before.

Being careful, I ran a good mile from my house before howling for the pack. They would be here, they would help.

I heard people phasing, howls greeting me. First was Brady. _This better be good, Kevin, we'll be late for school. _

_ I'm not going to school today. In fact, if I don't get help, I won't be going to school for a while._

Next was Jarod. _Okay, I'm going to stop reading your thoughts at the 'Mister No-Clothes' comment. What happened?_

_ You need to read further, dude. _I growled. _The secret is in jeopardy._

Collin phased, followed by the rest of the pack. Sam was last, all of us running to the meeting place hidden where no humans would wander without us realizing. _Kevin, you need to assess the situation with your own mind. _

I quickly examined his mind. _Sorry, but I've got no ideas. I'm in a panic, Mom can't know! She'll go blabbering to the whole Untied States – if we're lucky. Otherwise all the nations will know. _

_ Kevin, what if we arrived at your house- _Paul began.

_And suggested a special doctor that could assure your mother you were fine? _Jarod finished Paul's thought.

_Who would that be? What doctor do we ever need? _I was exasperated.

_Dr. Cullen._ Sam replied. _Only the best since the early 1900's. _

_ But… the Cullen's are the enemies! That's the whole reason for the Black and Uley packs… right?_ I was confused.

_Yes, but Dr. Cullen has always helped us out of these situations gratefully._ Jarod's voice was monotone.

_So what's the plan?_ Things seemed to be looking up now.

_Jarod, Paul and I will arrive at your front door, _Sam began the master plan, _we'll suggest the perfect doctor from Forks who would check you with no pay because he does charity work. Your mom will agree. Dr. Cullen will give your mom some bologna about one thing or another that he's picked up in the last 300 years and the secret will be as good as new._

_ Sounds like a plan! _Paul sounded eager, at least.

_When does this plot go into action?_ Jarod asked.

_Today, after school. _Sam cast his gaze over to me. _Kevin, you and Brady have four hours till noon. Go ask the Cullen's for their service._

_ But I have school! _Brady whimpered.

_So does Collin, but he's younger. Paul and Jarod are too hostile and Kevin would probably end up hanging with Leah._

_ Sam, we can't communicate without you. _Brady growled

_You'll have to be human, which would also appear less threatening. Got it?_

_ Wait, Sam, I can communicate with Leah! _My voice was excited. _We could talk through those thoughts!_

The great black wolf growled, but nodded. _Fine. It's better to be prepared, anyway. You'll have to phase if you wish to consult Dr. Cullen, though. Brady, it's your job to make sure Kevin doesn't get too caught up in Leah and make the date with Dr. Cullen._

_ Yes, Sam! _Brady jumped.

_Go, now! _Sam snarled and glared at the others. _Phase. They'll need a clear mind for this mission. _

The meeting dispersed rapidly after that. Everyone phased reluctantly. Brady and I had started running to the border. We gave a loud welcoming howl to get this over with fast.

It was barely a minute after we howled that I felt someone tickling my mind. _Leah!_

_ Wait, that's her? _I felt Brady stiffened as he listened to her howl.

_Yes._

I felt her running toward the border. Her voice blossomed in my head. _Kevin? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?_

_ Complications arose. We need help from Carlisle Cullen._

_ Ah- another un-expecting parent, I presume?_

_ Yes. _

_ Seth's going back to fetch him now. Jacob and I will meet you at the border in a few moments. _Her voice was giddy.

_God, please, I get enough of this crap from the rest of the guys. _Brady's voice surprised me as I had been focusing on Leah. _And that's why Sam sent me. _He sighed inwardly.

_ Sorry, Bro. _

_ Kevin? _It was Leah again. _Jacob was wondering how many of your pack mates are with you?_

_ Just Brady. _

_ Good. We're approaching the border._

I skidded to a halt, anticipating the whoosh of her beautiful silver fur at any moment.

_Still, right here._

_Sorry, Brady._

A russet wolf – Jacob – appeared from the bushes. He bowed his head and barked a polite greeting. Then came Leah, her eyes shimmering and fur waving. She flashed a grin as she saw me. Jacob barked at one thing or another that she must have thought.

_Jacob wants to know who the… misfortune has fallen upon this time. _

_ Me. My mom realized I was hot…_

_ You _are _hot._

I don't think she meant for me to hear that, but it pleased me.

_Oh God, I don't want to hear this!_

_ Shut up, Brady. _I continued speaking to Leah now. _And she's concerned about how my forehead felt. I hardly convinced her not to take my temperature – that would've been bad – but now she's not going to let me out of the house until my temperature decreases – which it won't. And, you know how it's going to end after that. Clinic, freak out, blah, blah, blah. _

_ Seth's almost here with Carlisle._

Brady snarled at the thought of a vampire. _Chill, _I warned him. I'm pretty sure he cast me a glare, but I was watching Leah now.

Leah glanced behind herself at some unheard thought. _You'll need to phase for Carlisle. Edward's out on a hunting trip… he's the only one who can mind-read. _

_ Got it. Do you mind if I phase here or…_

She laughed at me. Brady let out a full-blown snarl. _Best hide… to keep your friend's conscious clean. _

I dodged behind a tree and phased, throwing my clothes on clumsily as I fell out from my hiding place. I was surprised to find she had phased as well.

"Hello," I said, my voice lower than I ever remember it being.

"Hey, Kevin." Her voice was the same as her thoughts – beautiful . I was relieved Brady couldn't hear me now, but he refused to phase, worried about the vampires, I'm sure.

A large (small if I'd been phased) wolf jumped from the bushes. Seth. He glanced from me to Leah uncertainly, as if he was uncomfortable with her being in her fragile body.

And it was then I saw my first vampire.

He was pale – so pale! After seeing countless russet or bronze skinned people at school or around the Rez, it was different to see someone who had hardly any blush throughout his entire body. He had bleach blonde hair that was styled graciously.

"Hello, you must be Kevin." He had a doctor's suit on. His voice was smooth and handsome, in a word.

"Yes, and you must be Dr. Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." I said in utmost respect.

"Please, call me Carlisle. You're part of our family, now." He shot a quick glance at Leah, so quick that if I'd blinked I would've missed it.

"Um… okay. So, I was wondering if we could ask you to come to the Rez to deal with…" I stammered, at lost for words.

Leah laughed light-heartedly. "He's trying to say 'Code Parents.'" Seeing the confusion on our faces, she explained. "Code Parents. It means… whatever the hell is happening to you. It happens for a few people every once in a while."

"Of course I can come, I'm always happy to help a friend in need." Carlisle didn't move: a perfect statue. It was actually starting to freak me out.

"Okay… Sam or someone will consult you with a time." I wanted to get out of here. His stench had reached me – revolting! How did Leah live with that scent lingering in the air?

"That sounds like a date." Carlisle flashed me a polite grin. "I'll be seeing you soon, then."

"Yeah, sure."

"Tonight, for that matter." Leah flashed me a devilish smile that I couldn't resist.

Damn, she had me wrapped around her finger. I'd promised to meet the rest of her family tonight – but I hadn't realized they stank!

"Yes, tonight." I laughed, aloud, crossing my arms. "I guess I'll see you later, Carlisle."

Leah nodded, giving me an impish grin.

"I'm- well… I'm going to go and… phase." I said. I turned, wanting to show off. I leapt and in the middle of the bound – about a good four feet in the air – I phased. I fell onto my feet, glancing back and cocking my brow at Leah. _Not bad, huh?_

_ Dude, I'm the only one here. _Brady internally sighed.

"Nice. I'll see you later, Mister No-Clothes."

_Aw not again! _I sighed, only now realizing that I had ripped another pair of clothes. Mom was going to start wondering where all my clothes were going. Maybe I should start rethinking my entire philosophy of what made good birthday presents…

_Bro, let's go. It's a good few minute run back to La Push and we don't want to cut your Mom too short._

_ Coming, dude. Bye, Leah!_

_ She can't hear you._

_ I don't care._

We started running back to the Rez. I had my mind wandering about Leah the full time, henceforth Brady tried to keep to himself, only picking up a few of the thoughts. Whenever he did, he'd warn me to watch my head with a slight snarl. We were at the edge of the forest, staring out. There was my window – not a hundred yards away! But guess what? People crowded everywhere. I couldn't walk out as a wolf without starting a riot, but I couldn't walk out without any clothes on. I turned to Brady.

_Dude… _he began.

_Come on, Brother. Help a guy in need! This is your secret, too, ya know. _

_ Crap. Here. _He nudged me the clothes that he had neatly wrapped around his ankle for safe keeping. _But if I can't get to my house, I'm going to be sitting here, waiting. Waiting for my clothes back. _He warned as he started backing away.

_Bye, Brady._

_ Later, Kevin._

With that, I unphased, dressing into Brady's clothes. They were a little tight, but it'd be better than nothing.

Running quickly, I made it to my window in a matter of seconds. I leapt in, hiding under the covers of my bed in a rush and closing the window. The clock read 11:18. I had just enough time to change into my clothes and take a nap.

I lay down, in my own clothes, in my own bed, in my own thoughts. Closing my eyes, I sighed as I started sinking into a dreamlike state. Today, I would sleep too soundly to dream, saving all the other wolves a little piece of mind. But someday, the dreams wouldn't be in my sleep anymore.

**And that's a wrap for now. : ) You review and I'll write! Next chapter will be up soon as I get a chance to work on it which I can't determine when now. Anyway, thanks for the current review's already! It's nice to know that people read my story that actually care. (Unlike when I force my parents and grandparents… XD) But anyway… thanks! **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hopefully this chapter isn't a little rushed. It's time to meet the fam. XD Not too much to say now… except enjoy!**

Part Five: Kevin's POV

The knock of a fist against wood woke me. I blinked, startled, staring right at the clock which mocked me with the numbers 3:15. I'd slept a full four hours. Great.

Searching for what had woken me, I unfastened the bedroom door so I could just see down the hallway. Mom had the door open and was talking to a few boys. I could smell them – it was Sam, Jarod, and Paul, here for the first motion of the plan.

"Is Kevin feeling okay?" Jarod asked. He wasn't a bad actor. "We didn't see him at school today."

"He's just a little under the weather – a horrible fever!" Ugh, I wished she didn't sound so concerned.

"Really? How bad?" Paul asked in fake worry. It was so out of personality for Paul, I just held back a fit of laughter.

"I don't know, he wouldn't let me take it with a thermometer. He says he feels fine otherwise," Mom sighed hopelessly.

"Ya know, there's a really good doctor that deals with this kind of stuff," Sam said in a cool voice as he cut straight to the point.

"Really?" Mom was doubtful. "How much would it cost to take Kevin to see him?"

"No, he doesn't work like that. It's Dr. Cullen – Carlisle Cullen. He's a doctor in Forks, but he takes house calls for free to those who need it – ya know, because the economy's bad and all." Jarod spoke now, his words unbelievably fond.

"Really?" Mom repeated, not quite believing.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed. "He's helped me out of a few knots over the years."

Ha, the irony of it amused me.

"That sounds great! Do you have his number?" It was going to work.

"Sure! Here, I have it on my phone." Sam had been expecting this. Trying not to look like it'd been planned, he'd had the number on his phone, because what kid his age didn't carry a phone?

"Thank you!" Mom said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must call Dr. Cullen."

"You're welcome!" The door closed. They were gone.

I rushed back into bed silently, crawling under the covers which gave me a surplus heat.

A few moments passed. I was beginning to fall asleep, when Mom knocked on my door. "Kevin, you asleep?"

"Nope," I sighed.

"Oh, sorry, I just want to tell you that you have an appointment with Dr. Cullen tomorrow at noon. He's a doctor from Forks-"

And blah blah blah. I didn't pay much attention due to the fact I already knew.

"Okay, thanks, Mom." I said after she'd finished explaining everything Sam had told her.

"How are you feeling now?" she leaned forward to press her hand to my forehead.

I ducked instinctively. "I'm fine, Mom, honestly."

Glaring at me, she shook her head and touched my forehead – not letting me get away this time. "It's getting worse!" she gasped.

Nope… same old new temperature. Just more heat. Stupid blanket.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm sure I'll make it until the doctor comes." I flashed a faint grin.

Doubt flickered across her face. "Are you sure you feel fine…"

"Never felt better, Mom." Well… at least that was a little true.

"Okay, then, I'll leave you to rest." She said.

"Can you do one thing for me, Mom?" I asked.

She turned. "Yes?"

"Wake me up at 9:00 for dinner."

"9:00? That's a little late…"

"Please?"

Her eyes were conflicted, but she nodded. "Okay, Kevin. I'll wake you up later, then."

After she left, I fell asleep quickly. She woke me up as she promised and I swallowed a serving of lasagna before heading back to bed. I waited in my bed, pretending to be asleep because I knew I wouldn't be able to.

About 10:30, I decided it was safe. Jumping out the window, I dashed to the border, phasing half-way (without my clothes on this time). I was hardly a mile when I howled for her.

She returned the howl, watching wordlessly from the edge of my mind.

I reached the border and sat down, waiting. She would be here in a moment.

The faint shiver of air warned me. She was here. I perked my ears as she appeared from the foliage. "Hey, Kevin. Did you phase in your clothes again?" her voice was teasing.

I shook my head, pointing at them bundled tightly around my ankle.

"Well, you might want to phase, don't need to freak Jake or Seth out anymore." She smiled and turned away. "I'm not watching."

Rolling my eyes, I phased, putting my clothes on quickly. "Okay, let's go!"

"Don't be so eager." She warned me. "The house stinks – except for my room. I've gotten fairly used to it, but I'm not sure your sensitive nose will find it too pleasurable."

"Too late. I'm eager." I stepped over the border – not so nerve-wrecking this time. A smile crossed her face and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Come on, then." She took my hand in hers and started leading me straight into the middle of the territory. I'm not exaggerating when I say she literally pulled me along – she did.

A magnificent house appeared –a few stories tall and majestic. "This is the Cullen household. Edward, Bella, and Renesmee share a separate cabin sometimes because… well… it's sort of a vampire couple thing that is disturbing and we don't want to hear it. Jacob visits sometimes, but not very often. He doesn't like disturbing Edward or Bella."

"Wow," was all I could say, was all I could think

And then I caught the stench of the vampire – only worse. Now it was revolting, multiplied by seven. I sneeze and tried not to throw up.

"I know," Leah sighed, gazing at me empathetically. "You'll get used to it."

We walked inside. I could see tons of vampires – none of which I could identify even after my training at the werewolf boot camp.

"That is Esme, and you know Carlisle." She motioned to Carlisle who was sitting at an office chair, Esme standing a few feet away.

"Hey, you're Kevin!" a very muscular, short haired dude had jumped up. He hit the back of my shoulder in a friendly way – so hard that if I'd been human I'm sure I would've broken some bones.

"And you are…" I asked, trying not to seem weirded out. Damn, he stank like hell!

"Emmett." His eyes were ebony – which meant he was hungry. "This is Rosalie." He gestured to a blonde who was sitting on the couch where he had just been – watching a football game.

"Edward's coming." Leah whispered into my ear – aware that everyone could hear her. "Watch your thoughts."

"Psht, I have a whole pack of boys I have to listen to! One vampire is nothing!"

"Yes, but he responds to your thoughts and gets disturbed by them – and you can't read his in return."

With this pointed out, I was worried. "Crap. Oh well, I'll just have to live with it." I shrugged.

"Thanks. " She gave me a light hug. Ha, ha. I got a hug.

"Would you please at least attempt to control your thoughts?" There he stood – tall with weirdly styled hair. I struggled not flinch away. This could be no one except Edward.

"Edward," I greeted him as any other vampire. I held out my hand. He took it and I yelped in shock. "Damn, you're cold!"

He chuckled evily. "Just like touching an open flame. Welcome, Kevin."

I tried not to think as I did sometimes with the pack, but my mind kept wandering. "Will you please not respond to my thoughts?" I asked.

"I'll try." His smile widened as a girl walked into the room. She had long, brunette hair. In a word she could be described as beautiful – but she wasn't better than Leah in my opinion. But neither was Rosalie – and before I met Leah I probably would've called her hot.

"This is my lovely wife, Bella." Edward motioned toward the vampire.

"Hello, Bella." I nodded, not wanting to feel another vampire. "You're very popular in the Uley Pack."

"Am I?" her voice was light and giddy as she gazed at Edward. Ew. Now I know what Leah meant by 'the disturbing vampire couple thing.'

Leah glanced back. "Jacob and Seth are here."

"Met them."

"Not as humans."

"True that." I turned and stared at the entrance.

A large russet-skinned man stormed through first. He had an irritated look on his face and he glanced around. "Bella, where's Renesmee?"

Bella was now annoyed. "She is in her room, Jacob."

Ah- Jacob. The Alpha of the Black Pack.

"Is she asleep yet? I was hoping to introduce her to Kevin myself." Typical werewolves – always trying to protect our loved ones. I snorted at the thought.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't check."

Too late, Jacob was already gone.

The next man was smaller – younger. He had longer hair and seemed much friendlier as he talked to two vampires.

"Kevin, this is my little Brother, Seth, Alice," the pixie-haired vampire, "and Jasper." He had dark blonde curly hair.

"Hey," I said I a quiet, almost shy manner. "I'm Kevin."

"Hey, Kevin!" Alice jumped forward, very, very friendly. It made me feel happy. I liked the vampires.

"Dammit, Jasper! Stop the mood control!" Leah growled loudly, glaring at the vampire.

"Sorry." The happy feeling vanished, leaving me confused.

"What just happened?" I blinked.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Jasper has this weird power and he can control how you feel – make you feel all nice and cuddly about murdering someone."

"Great." I sighed, crossing my arms. Now I wouldn't be able to tell if it was me feeling good or Jasper making me feel happy.

"Don't worry, I'll warn you if any powers are in effect." Edward said as he wrapped his arms around Bella, hugging her close to him.

"Okay, guys! Nessie's up!"

Bella rolled her eyes as Jacob's voice howled from just outside. She glanced at Edward. "Is there any hope?"

"I'm afraid not, her nickname's Nessie now." He smile and kissed her forehead lightly.

It made me uncomfortable, standing only five feet away and watching them openly display affection. It was off in an odd way… hard to explain in words.

Jacob trotted inside, his hair wet and dripping. It must have started raining. "Hello, Kevin." He said in an authoritive voice. "This is Bella's daughter, Renesmee. We call her Nessie."

"No, we don't-" Bella growled.

"I call her Nessie." Jacob said, watching the little girl fondly.

"Hello, Renesmee," I spoke to her in a nice voice. "I'm Kevin."

She leaned forward, hand reaching for my face. I flinched away, nervous to feel her cold skin and remembering the several thousand ways a vampire could kill a werewolf.

"Renesmee is special. She has a power that she can control upon contact. Her skin isn't as cold as ours is, since she is also half human." Edward explained.

"Ah-" I sighed inwardly. This would take some getting used to.

Ness-

Renesmee turned to Jacob and put her hand against his cheek. For a moment I thought it was some awkward affectionate gesture, until I realized that she was using her power on him. His eyes were clouded as she did… whatever she did.

"Kevin, Nessie wants to know if she may use her powers with you?" Jacob asked for her, not taking his eyes off the little girl for more than a second.

"Um… sure." I was wary, but interested in what this power was.

Her hand went against my cheek – thankfully not too cold. I saw a picture of Leah, I'm guessing the first day after she imprinted. Leah paced. Anxiety clouded the vision. Then it was maybe the next day after seeing me, she was content and acted unnaturally nice to the vampires, making Nessie even more nervous.

Then the vision ended, leaving me to stare at her face – that of a toddler. "Wow," I breathed, taking a step back. She smiled at me. I glanced at Edward. "Can she speak?"

"Of course!" he growled. "She just prefers to show people."

There was a moment of awkward silence as I gazed around at all of Leah's family. One of the oddest families I had ever seen – vampires and werewolves and hybrid humans.

"Well, Kevin and I are just going to go upstairs to my room…" Leah said cautiously.

"Leah," Jacob started to growl.

"Relax, Jacob, nothing's going to happen." Edward sighed. Jacob was still tense, but Renesmee showed him something and he calmed.

"Come on, this way." Leah started leading me by my hand upstairs. "The Cullen's have given us werewolves a place to stay now. I got this room," she opened a door at the end of the long hallway.

As the door opened, I was surprised to see the room was different than any other. It wasn't open with windows, but secluded by the real walls of concrete with a small window in the side. "The Cullen's realized that I didn't like how I was the only girl and I missed my privacy, so they gave me the most private space they could manage."

"It's nice," I commented. The room was a deep violet in most parts. The walls and carpet basically. The ceiling was even darker. The bed was a lighter purple that I couldn't name. There was a desk and a bookshelf – both of them a deep wood color. The bookshelf was chockfull of books and journals. "What are the journals?" I asked.

"Oh, just short stories I have written on my own time. We don't spend all our time doing werewolf crap, you know. I hope to be an author one day."

"May I read one?" I asked, looking over all the many notebooks each in turn.

"Sure."

"Which do you recommend?"

"It depends," she said. "What kind of genres do you prefer?" she took out several notebooks and flipped through each, setting a few aside.

"Well… I've liked action," I said blankly. "Honestly, I'll bet anything you write is going to be spectacular."

She sighed lightly. "Here, this one is very action-filled." It was a bright yellow colored notebook.

"Thanks," I cast a grin up in her direction, taking the notebook she held up. "I'll read it at school."

Now she sat on her bed, laying down and staring at the ceiling.

"I've noticed your room is very, dark." I observed. Only a few dark purple-shaded lamps lit the area, making it seem gloomy, but peaceful.

"It makes it feel… special. _My_ place, you know." She grinned lightly and closed her eyes, as if breathing in her room.

I sat down on the floor, lying on my back as I played with the notebook in my hands. It had a neat, undisturbed cover that hardly looked like it had been handled. I flipped through the pages to find every single one filled with neat writing, the margins neat and paragraphs printed correctly.

Leah slid down next to me, her eyes studying me carefully as I inspected the notebook with unneeded interest.

After a few moments of lying in silence, she spoke. "So now that you've met my family, can I meet yours?"

I laughed loudly. "Well, that'd take a little more planning than this. First, I'd have to get Mom past the initial freak-out stage that I have a Girlfriend. Then I'd have to wait a little time because she'd think it were awfully serious if I took you to meet her right away. She isn't in on the secret of imprinting, as all of your family is."

"Well, then, how about we start the day after tomorrow?" she asked. "Once Carlisle confirms your well-being, you can go to school again and then maybe we can see each other before midnight."

"I like midnight, though," I complained lightly. "It makes it feel more secret/special."

"We can only meet once a day," she sighed, glancing at me. I turned toward her lightly, causing my body to angle in an odd position.

"No, they said we could only cross treaty lands once a day." I corrected her. "If we left the treaty lands altogether, we'd be free."

"I don't think Jake or Sam would appreciate us sneaking through the gaps of the agreement." She warned.

"Does it matter what they think?"

Changing back to the original subject, she said, "Well, I guess I can wait a few weeks. I mean, it's only my soul mates' parents." She glanced up at me with puppy eyes.

Rolling my eyes and chuckling, I glanced away from her so I was staring at the wall. "Fine. In a few weeks. But I haven't really met your mom – your real mom. Ya know, the one in La Push."

She sighed. "I haven't visited her in ages. She's come down with Charlie every few visits, but he has been coming less."

"Charlie? Bella's dad?" the name was familiar.

"Yes, believe it or not they're engaged."

"Well, now it's a whole tangled web. Vampire's dad loves the mom of a werewolf. Hybrid vampire loves werewolf. Werewolf loves werewolf." I played with a lock of her hair that was lying on the carpet.

"Okay. Will you promise me one thing?" she asked; her voice irresistible.

"Anything." I promised.

"You'll tell your mom about me tomorrow."

"She'll want to know the specifics!" I warned her quietly with an edge to my voice. "Like how long we've been dating, where we met,"

"We've been dating for a month. You met me at school and missed me all the while you were at camp. You've seen me at school – though we both know I don't go to school, but I used to. You saw me once while you were at camp and took me to dinner." She gave me a back story quickly without hesitating.

"Sounds like you've had that worked out," I joked, watching her.

"A long time. Only for like, two days."

We lay there, not moving, watching each other for some time now. I didn't want to move – I was perfectly content where I was.

The knock on the door interrupted our silent vigil. "Leah? Kevin?" it was Jacob.

"Yes?" Leah sat up, me trying to keep up with her. "Come in, Jake."

He peeked through the door. "It's 3:00. I felt it was appropriate to warn Kevin that he has to be home in time for his mother not to notice his absence, and so he doesn't appear to be sleeping for 24 hours a day."

"You're right," I sighed, standing unsteadily to my legs. I hadn't noticed how long I'd been lying. My legs were stiff.

"Come on, I'll escort you to the border." Leah trotted past Jacob and out of the room.

"Um… coming." I awkwardly moved past the large Alpha, nervous.

When I got outside, I saw Leah already phased. She nodded for me to join her.

Instead, I walked toward her, reaching my hand out. Her fur was elegant, teasing me to touch it. I did. It was soft and silky against my rough human hand.

She put her head down and I lay my hand on her cheek, scratching it as one would pet a dog. She growled pleasurably before opening her eyes to look at me, waiting for me to phase.

After hiding to take my clothes off, I did.

_Nice to see your wolf again, Kevin._

_ Nice to hear you again, Leah._

She sighed melodramatically. _It hasn't been that long!_ We were rapidly accelerating toward the border, each step becoming more ominous.

_It's been long enough. _I smiled, watching her from the corner of my eyes.

And we were at the border. _Leah,_ I thought, _if we don't phase, we can still hear each other._

_ I know._ She responded. _But I don't want to distract you._

_ You don't distract me _that_ much._

_ Correct, I distract you more. _We had halted; a grin on her face. She leaned forward, pushing her nose against mine.

The feeling that rushed through me was dizzying as she did so, causing my legs to tremble as if I were about to phase. I'd never phased back on accident from kindness – this was weird. I guess it was possible, though.

_Bye, Leah. _I crossed the border and started running, aware of the precious seconds ticking away.

_Until tomorrow._ I felt her phase.

And I was alone.

**Review. :D Next chapter…. Coming soon!**


	7. Chapter 6

**So I've been planning ahead a little and I've got to thinking that after I finish up my plot here, I could make a sequel featuring a few hundred years after the end of this story. The Cullen's would of course come back to Forks for their annual visit leaving all the werewolf genes in the area to phase. I haven't gotten as far as thinking of action but I've got the main characters worked out. We still have a good ton of chapters here… but tell me what you think. : ) Anyway… I present to you: Chapter Six!**

Part Six Kevin

"Kevin, Dr. Cullen is here to see you." I was woken with a shock as Mom stood in front of me.

"Mom, what time is it?" my mind was foggy. Just a few moments ago I had returned home and fallen asleep.

"Noon, honey." She gestured toward the living room. "You've got to come meet the Doctor."

"Okay." I got out of bed, fully dressed due to the fact I had been too tired to change last night.

She stared at my clothes disapprovingly, but shook her head. "Come on," she sighed.

I walked out, aware of his stench in the air. Great. Now my house was going to stink for the next week!

Carlisle was sitting on the couch in a very humany manner. Her had his legs crossed and was flinching every so often. One would only notice how his movements were off if they were looking for it. He glanced at me. "Hello, you must be Kevin." He stood and held out his hand. "I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

Sighing internally, I reached out and shook his hand, timidly flinching as the ice cold feeling rushed through my arm. I shivered. This was one type of cold I did _not _like. "Hello C- Dr. Cullen." I cut myself short, almost calling him formally by his first name.

"Please, call me Carlisle," he insisted. Second time he'd said that in the last two days. It was weird – having to meet him three times over.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Carlisle." I responded.

He had a small black bag next to him. His cast his eyes at Mom, a deep almost normal brown color. He was hungry – which made me nervous. "I'll just give Kevin a quick examination. He seems fine, so I don't think we'll find anything wrong with him."

Mom nodded, watching me warily. "Then I'll be in the other room," she walked away, leaving me with the vampire.

"So, Kevin, how have you been feeling?" he wrote something down on a chart.

"Fine." I answered, not wanting to talk.

"Your heartbeat is strong." He commented. Stupid sensitive vampire ears… I just hadn't known _how _sensitive they were.

"Yes… I guess it needs to be." I kept my voice low.

"For the sake of your mother's peace of mind, use this thermometer to take your temperature. What's your normal?"

I placed the thermometer under my tongue as I mumbled, "109."

It beeped, reading my temperature exactly. "Well, you don't appear to have a fever." His voice seemed joking in a way no human would sense as he wrote down 98 degrees.

After a few minutes of the 'examination,' Mom walked in. "Is he okay?" she asked.

"Healthy as a horse." Carlisle told her.

"Really?" she stepped forward, placing her hand against my head, finding it was hot. "Are you sure? He still feels warm."

"I'm positive. His temperature and heartbeat are normal. His body might feel hot because it's adapted well to the cold environment which we live." Carlisle lied smoothly so that I almost believed him myself.

"Oh… okay. Thank you so much for your time," Mom said.

"It's a pleasure to work with anyone," Carlisle replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my job at the hospitable."

"Good bye," _See you soon._ I added quietly.

As soon as he was gone, Mom sat beside me. "What's wrong?"

Dammit. While the secret was safe, my face was giving off emotions. "What do you mean?"

"You look like something's on your mind," she responded.

_You promised. _It was as if Leah was in my mind, urging me. "Yeah, Mom, something is. There's something I need to tell you…" I hesitated, rethinking.

"Yes?" she leaned forward, intent.

"I – um… I've been… I have a girlfriend." _I have a soul mate that is hot and has attitude. _I thought to myself with satisfaction.

"A girlfriend?!" All worries forgotten, Mom was sitting on the couch beside me. And then came the wave of questions, so many that I didn't catch a single one.

After a good minute, I held up my hand. "Stop!" I exclaimed.

She cocked her brow, waiting for the information.

"Her name's Leah, she goes to my school. I see her at school, we went on a date or two while I was at camp, she's really special and I like her." I blurted this out, hoping she would be content.

But I should have known otherwise. "How long?" She was giddy – such a typical girl emotion!

"Just over a month."

"That's excellent! Can I meet her? When?"

"Um… well… she said she was interested in meeting you and that we'd set a date. She isn't busy anytime this week, so…"

"Good! Can she come tomorrow? You father will be home from his business trip tomorrow! He'll be thrilled to meet her!" she went on like this for a while.

"Mom," I stopped her. "Mom, I'll go call her now, okay?"

"Okay!" she was ecstatic. Ugh… the things I did for Leah!

Once in my room, I took my clothes off and phased, hoping she'd be there. My wolf was too big for my room – though. If I wasn't careful, my head would hit the ceiling and my pelt would scrape the walls.

_Hello? Anyone there?_

_ Kevin? _Sam was the only one. Damn. _What's wrong? _He heard me swear.

_I need to talk to Leah. Can you howl for her? I'm trapped in my room._

_ Sure thing, Kevin. I'll phase to give you two some… privacy. _Sam's voice halted as he phased, leaving me alone.

A long, surprisingly wolfish howl ripped the air. How could he howl so good as a human? It didn't matter – now I could talk to Leah.

It took a few minutes, but her voice was in my mind in a flash of expectance. _Kevin?_

_ Leah! _I was relieved that it had worked. _I talked to my mom. She was wondering if you could come over tomorrow – Saturday._

_ I'm not doing anything. _She was delighted at how well it had worked out.

_Great – what time, and I might need your phone number._

_ Why? _

_ Because one – I can't always rely on someone to howl for you and two, my room is _way _too small to phase in!_

I heard her snicker as she read me a number. _Call me only when telegraphy doesn't work, I like this better. I can come over at… how about 10:00 tomorrow morning?_

_ Got it, good. See you… tonight?_

_ I was thinking we should stay away tonight… just so you can get some sleep. I'll see you _legally _tomorrow, okay? _

_Okay._ Trying to hold back my thoughts, I phased. Only then did I silently curse for the pain I felt now that I had to stay away from her – if just for tonight.

Ambling carelessly into the living room, I glanced up at Mom. "She says she can come over at 10:00 tomorrow." I repeated the conversation topic.

"Brilliant! We have to clean the house – though! You do your room and the home work your friends brought from school. I'll work on the rest of the house."

"Okay, Mom." The rest of the day was spent de-spotifying my room and finishing my homework – putting in a little extra test study while I was at it.

I slept regular hours that night – my sleep coming and going in restless waves. I continued to dream about Leah and what the next day would be like. It unnerved me.

Around 4:00, I fell into a deep sleep. It wasn't until 9:00 that Mom woke me up, surprised by my sleeping-in. "Are you going to pick her up? Is she coming over? What?"

"Oh, she lives just a mile away. I'll walk over to get her." A mile seemed like a plausible time limit for wolf running time to Forks.

"I'll start walking now; I told her I'd be over about 9:30 to pick her up." I hadn't, but she'd promised she'd be phased and waiting.

"Okay, honey, see you! I'm going to wake your father up." She turned, leaving me free to make my dash to the woods.

I made it to the woods, careful to take my clothes off neatly. If I came back in different clothes, Mom would notice. In a phase, I was on my four feet, howling for Leah's attention.

After about five minutes, she answered me. _Kevin?_

_ I'm on my way. Your house is supposed to be a mile away, so don't be in a huge hurry._

_ Okay! _

The run was silent for the most part, both of us waiting for when we could see the other.

The distance to the border was roughly ten minutes long. She was already waiting – the length being much shorter for her.

As soon as I came within leaping distance, she lunged across the border at me, growling playfully. I yipped and turned tail for she had already rushed past me.

We ran through the forest in a decorative pattern, sprinting loops and turns lazily as we didn't have to hurry. Not a word was spoken; the mood said it all. Today was going to be fun and until we got to my house, we had to get all the wolfish instincts out of our system.

Home approached. We had strictly taken twenty to thirty minutes for the trip, leaving us on time as it would take humans to walk. I stopped, glancing at her. _Didn't forget your clothes, did you? _I joked.

_Look who's talking! _She replied with a snort. In a last wolf gesture, she rubbed her head against my cheek. _See you on the other side._

_ On the other side._ She had hidden behind a bush, letting me phase there. I put my pants quickly, taking more time with my shirt.

Walking out to see my shirt only half-way on, she rolled her eyes. "What?" I asked.

"Honestly, how am I supposed to concentrate on meeting your parents if I'm thinking of the upper half of your naked body?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I don't know… I've never know that I could _dazzle _people." I cocked my brow, flashing a playful grin at her in the cheesiest attempt at dazzling possible.

This caused her to laugh as she reached for my hand, taking it in hers. "Let's go," she said and started leading me out of the woods.

"Aht ah, this is my terf, now. You follow me." I smirked and led the way toward the house as if it were a big deal.

Knocking, I opened the door. My parents weren't there… yet. "Welcome to my house," I said, holding the door open for her. I whispered, "and remember, you have to be more careful here than back in Forks."

She winked response and glanced around in wonder. "It's very… tidy." She commented. "I'll admit, I was expecting something a little bit messier, but I guess that's what I imagine every teenage boys' house." She laughed, glancing at me thoughtfully.

"I'm going to fetch my parents, make yourself comfortable." I motioned to the couch, walking into the Kitchen.

Mom was there. She hadn't heard me walk in as she was cleaning dishes in the sink. "Mom," I growled.

She was taken aback. "Kevin, you're here!"

"Yeah, and so is Leah." I motioned to the other room.

"Oh!" she set down the bowl she' been scrubbing and dried her hands off with a towel.

Annoyed, I led her back into the living room. "Leah, this is my mom, Mom, this is Leah."

"Hello," Leah said. She didn't move from her position on the couch. I hurried to sit next to her, leaving a foot between us.

"Hello!" Mom exclaimed. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Clark."

"So, um, Mom," I broke in, "where's Dad?"

"He's still resting from his trip," Mom explained as she sat down in a small chair.

"I guess you'll have to meet him another time," I said to Leah. Hopefully my voice wasn't too relieved. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, a slight grin playing on her face.

"Tell me everything, now!" Mom said, leaning toward us. "How did you meet?"

"Well, um," I glanced at Leah. She'd come up with the rest of the story.

"It was the beginning of the year. We were seated next to each other in English. It took about a month but he _finally _asked me out." She glanced at me slyly, emphasizing the word 'finally.'

I tried to resist it, but I felt my face grow a little red. "Um, yeah… ha." I said, filling in an empty space in time. I placed my hand on the back of my neck, arm hanging emptily.

Leah and Mom talked consistently, me only listening in to bits and pieces. My dad came out eventually, dressed in a shirt and sweatpants. He shook Leah's hand – caught off guard by her temperature – and went to sit in the chair beside Mom's.

"May we be excused? I'd like to show Leah around the house," I asked after a few minutes.

"Of course!" Mom said, standing up. "Your father and I will be in the kitchen." She stood, motioning for Dad to join her.

"Cool," I said, taking Leah's hand, I stood as well. "We'll just be around, then." I stated as I led Leah down the hallway.

"Which is your room?" she asked curiously.

"So eager," I teased, glancing at her sneakily through narrowed eyes.

"You saw my room," she pointed out quietly, "I should get to see yours – the space too small to phase in."

"And that's a dead giveaway – there's no room for you in my room." I laughed and pointed at the first door to the left. "That's the bathroom. My parent's room is the last one on the left. My room is this one," I pointed, the only door on the right.

"May I?" she placed her hand on the doorknob, glancing at me for permission.

"Be my guest," I motioned for her to open the door, waiting just behind her. The door clicked open and she walked in, glancing around.

My room was very plain. It had a bookshelf/desk, bed, and nightstand with a closet in the side. The walls were a wood brown, a boring color I'd always had. There was a calendar on the wall with pictures of wolves. Even before I'd started phasing, the creatures had fascinated me.

"It's very, open." She walked toward the bed which was right beside the window. She gazed outside. "And this is where you sneak outside?"

"Yup, every night." I smirked. "Once I even forgot to close the window – confused my mom, that's for sure! She was freezing. This damn body heat is good for only so many things."

"You'll get used to it, just as the vampire scent," she promised me, looking through the calendar. "These are very exquisite wolf pictures."

"Err, thanks." I wasn't quite sure what she meant by that.

"So, my mom and Charlie came over yesterday," she sighed. "I'm afraid I have no good news."

"What?"

"Well, you know how our rooms at the Cullen's were for our temporary stay?" she asked.

"Yes," my voice quavered slightly, worried over where this conversation was headed.

"My mom wants me and Seth to move in with her and Charlie. Jake would stay with the Cullen's and we would still be on Treaty land, but I wouldn't be able to sneak out and see you."

The fragile glass of my new life had fallen and shattered. The little hope over the revisions to the Treaty set aside. Now if I were to see Leah, it'd be under time restrictions with no phasing involved. I wouldn't be able to see her beautiful silver hair in the moonlight, or her glowing brown wolf eyes.

"No…" I whispered.

She continued, her eyes closed. "That's why I couldn't see you last night. I was arguing with my mom and Seth. I'll be moving in with her in two days… " she blinked, looking up at me. "But I'll still be able to see you; you just need to meet my mother first."

"Oh… you did explain about nights – how that is our _only _free time, right?" I asked stupidly.

"Continuously. She didn't like it and said that and I'd have to see you elsewise." She glanced at the carpet. "I want to move on and get a life since I've already graduated high school. Before I met you, I had a plan to quit phasing and go to college, maybe start yoga and get along on my own. But I haven't got money for college or an apartment and I still need to be a dedicated member to the pack – at least while the Treaty is being screwed with. Sam and Jacob keep insisting on adjustments. But now that I've imprinted, I'm not sure what I'm planning. Still yoga – need to work on my anger control – but I haven't got any career ideas."

Sitting on my bed next to her, I gave her a small hug, strong if she'd been a human. "You'll figure it out – and now you're not alone."

"Thanks, Kevin. Once you graduate high school, maybe we can both move on away from here and all the complications. Somewhere cold – perhaps? We wouldn't go anywhere warmer, for sure!" she sighed a breath of a laugh.

"Someday," I promised, "but I'm not going to let your mom keep us apart now. I need you as much as Jacob needs his little girl friend." The thought of not being able to see her at least on a daily basis was unthinkable – causing me nearly physical pain to imagine. Never. I could never leave her for that long. I remembered the first few days after my imprinting with a tremble.

"But what about the phasing?" I asked. "I think it's cool, and we'd be together." I hugged her tighter. "_Forever."_

"I don't know… I don't exactly _enjoy _phasing, but the longer with you would be worth it. I just wonder… _can _we phase if there are no vampires around?" she glanced up at me from my embrace, giving me a light hug back.

"There's no reason we can't. I believe that once we start phasing it's in our control to stop and start without the influence of vampires."

She leaned against me, head resting on my chest. "Perhaps you're right."

We sat like that a while, silent. It was one of the first actual romantic moments we'd shared in our imprinting, and it was quite enjoying it.

Sometime later, Mom intruded, walking into the room with a light warning knock. Leah immediately stood up, leaving me sitting on the bed alone.

"Hey," Mom said, worried she had barged in on us. "I just wanted to warn you both that it's getting later… I was wondering what time Leah was to be expected home."

Leah glanced at the clock which I couldn't see. "I should be going about now," she said, glancing at me. She didn't want to leave, but it was best for our 'human speed relationship appearance.'

"I'll walk you home," I offered, standing so I was next to her.

"You'll be back in half an hour, correct?" Mom asked, glancing at me anxiously.

"Sure, Mom. I'll be back in half an hour easily." I shrugged, taking Leah's hand. "Let's go."

"Coming. See you later, Mrs. Clark." Leah smiled politely as I started leading her outside.

"It was nice to meet you, Leah! Come over any time!"

We walked briskly to the forest, eager to be out of human sight. Then I could be myself, and her herself. Then we wouldn't have to pretend not to know what we were to each other.

The forest approached slowly, but we made it. I sighed and smiled at her, drawing her closer to me with our linked hands. "We would travel faster as wolves – even walking wolves." I pointed out.

She smiled and chuckled under her breath. "Okay, I'll just be over here." She walked away so I couldn't see her. I took off my shirt and pants, phasing with difficulty as I had to summon anger when there was none there.

_Let's go! _She had beat met to the phase, her anger much easier to come by.

_I'm coming. Remember, you're ultrafast. _I began trotting, leading the way.

We walked to the border making small talk. Both of our minds were occupied. I'm not sure what she was thinking about, but I was pondering over something I wanted to try.

At the border, we paused, both phasing to human. Hesitantly, she gave me a small hug before stepping back.

"When is the next time I will see you?" my voice cracked with anxiety.

"I don't know." Her voice was next to inaudible.

"Then I'd like to try something before you leave." I tried not to dwell on fear that she would disapprove.

"What?" she took a step back, her hands resting near my wrists on my arms.

I took a small step forward, reaching my right hand for her face. Using my thumb, I stroked her cheekbone. She gazed up into my eyes, watching with undeniable curiosity. After a moment, I took my other hand and rested it on her hip. I pulled her toward me so we were a few inches apart.

It was then I leaned forward and carefully – ever so carefully – I placed my lips against hers.

For a horrible second, I thought she was going to pull away, going to be annoyed with me moving our relationship along – but she didn't. Instead, she leaned in toward me a fraction of an inch.

It ended too soon. We broke away a few inches, staring at each other.

"Well," she said quietly stepping away, "that was… fun."

"Yeah," my voice was quiet. "Hope nothing's weird, though."

"Weird, nah." She shook her head. "But now I'm not going to be able to _stop _thinking about you."

Dammit, she was right. Now it was going to be worse – being away from her.

"Crap," I said out loud.

She laughed lightly. "I'll see you… sometime in the future."

"We have forever," I shrugged, taking a few steps back as she crossed the border.

"And a day," she added.

We were both acting like idiots; trying to laugh away from the pain which was impossible. But seeing her now – laughing as she walked away – was one of the best and worst times I'd ever seen her.

"I'll go now," she stopped laughing and phased – in her clothes.

"Bye…" My voice cracked, but she couldn't hear me.

She was already gone.

**Not one of my favorite chapters… the action will rise next chapter with a little twist in the plot I added last minute. What do you do when you get mad at your parents insult your imprintee and you have nowhere to run? Mwahahahah! The things I do to poor Kevin. XD Anyway, read, review, enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Okay… this chapter I decided to have a little fun. : ) Nowhere to run… nowhere to phase… what ya goin to do? I don't have much to say for now but enjoy! **

Part 7 – Kevin's POV

I got home, not phasing the entire walk. I didn't feel I had enough anger or energy to phase. It had all been sucked away with Leah. Now, I felt numb. I did my best to enjoy the numb; for I was sure it wouldn't last long.

Mom greeted me full-heartedly as I returned home. "She seems pleasant!"

"Yeah… she's great." I sighed, glancing around as I tried not to meet her gaze – sometimes she was a little too observant.

"You two go perfect together, if I'm allowed to say so." She had turned her back to me, leaning over the sink as she scrubbed dishes.

"You could very easily say that. I might warn you, she's going to be around for a _long_ time." A smile threatened to break my composure as I thought of all the time I still had left to spend with Leah – eternity if I wanted!

"I know you're a teenager and that you feel pressured, but do you think _now_ is the age to start dating? You have your whole life…" Great. I liked my dad better when he wasn't around – he was always saying stuff like that.

"Well…" how do I explain imprinting without giving away the whole werewolf stunt? "It's different. I've never felt so… drawn to any other creature. It's just… her, like we're meant to be." Dammit, now I sounded like some creepy Romeo!

"It always feels that way," Dad began.

"This is different," I promised him.

"They always say that."

"A little faith?" Anger was rushing through me. No… no… calm. Calm. Happy thoughts… happy thoughts… no phasing. "I mean, shouldn't I be the one to determine who I want to be with?"

"Kevin, you're going to date many girls in your life, just don't be so certain that she's _the one._"

I growled – a deep, gut wrenching growl from the bottoms of the pit of my stomach. It was such a deep-throated, dog-like growl that Mom looked taken aback. Dad cast me a glare.

"Since when did you start growling at people? You're not a dog, Kevin."

Damn, why was Dad always so grumpy after business trips?

"How do you know?" I challenged, standing tall. If I had my pelt on, my fur would be bristling. "Maybe I have some sort of inner dog self?" I couldn't say too much more… the anger was growing more potent with every beat of my thudding heart. Couldn't phase… not here, not now.

"Why would you have an inner dog self? Don't be absurd." Dad rolled his eyes.

"I know myself better than you do, Dad." I was holding back the instinct to snarl, my teeth just barely starting to glimmer at the edge of my lips.

"I don't like your attitude, young man."

The trembling had begun. I had to get out of there, _now._ I couldn't phase without freaking them out, without giving away the secret that was so vital to be kept as it was.

With another growl, I turned, rocketing down the hall to my room. Trembling, heat, anger, it all gushed through every square centimeter of my body, consuming every last atom that made up my being. I slammed the door to my room, rushing to take off my clothes. I couldn't phase – this was my last pair of really good pants.

I had just gotten my shirt off in time to save it when the wolf exploded, knocking a lamp onto the floor. It fell with a horrible thud. Now that I had phased and had more body to contain the heat, I felt myself trying to release the fury. Silently, I growled out all the anguish at the words about Leah.

The tap of footsteps coming down the hall broke into my vigil. I glanced up, teeth exposed in a grimace. I had to phase… had to phase back.

It was the hardest phase of my entire werewolf life. I had to cram all my little calmness into that human body, ignoring everything else. I did this, phasing back as my dad approached. I only had a matter of seconds. I recklessly threw on a pair of shorts.

The door clicked open. Dad was fuming in anger, a scowl on his face. "You do _not _just run away and ignore me like that!" he literally hissed.

"Dad, let's be reasonable," peace of mind. I was at peace at mind… right? I had to tell myself that. I didn't want the heat to start.

"I am being reasonable, but then you just go running off on me!" He must have had one hell of a time at work.

"You know, we're really upsetting Mom with all this fighting, maybe we should take this argument outside into the woods where she can't see or hear us?" Then I would have room to run, just in case. It would be best to end this now, but he wasn't getting away until I'd given him a good piece of my mind.

He hesitated, but nodded. "Fine. Go."

I happily led the way out of the house, remembering all the procedures I'd learned at camp to resist anger issues. We were in the woods, me getting there a good ten feet before him with my werewolf side showing more than usual.

"Dad," I said in a quiet voice as he walked deep enough into the forest that we were hidden, "I feel very strongly for Leah. I can tell you right now that I'm never going to let her go, without a doubt in my mind."

He seemed very confused about the sincerity in my voice – how sure I was. "But you never know that, Kevin. It's impossible."

"No. It's not. I know from the morrow in my bones to the core of my brain, with every pulse of my heart that I will always be with her. Through the hardships against creatures of all shapes and forms to the little, most ridiculous problems that appear from the air. I will worship the very land she walks on – be at peace with everyone she cares for. Whoever she wants me to be, that is who I am. Be it simply a friend or hospitable neighbor, she will always mean more to me than my own life." My voice had faded to a whisper that I was sure he could hear as I continued. Perhaps I said too much, I wouldn't have noticed. I was wrapped up in my own little fairy tale of what the words had painted in my mind, a life encircled purely around Leah with no complications whatsoever.

"Kevin…" he was completely flabbergasted that I had come up with this little rant in such a short time, but it hadn't been that hard. I had just spoken what my heart had felt. "Kevin, it's natural to feel that way, but it's _impossible _to know when you've found your soul mate!"

"Yet here I stand 100% sure of who she is." My voice felt carved with hysteria as I chuckled.

"How? How do you know?"

"Because, Dad, not everything is how it seems." My eyes narrowed. This was his first hint – the hint to the supernatural. "The fictional monsters that have stalked the nightmares of the irrational may not be as imaginary as you believe, or as vulnerable. The demented that have told stories – acted in films of horrors may not have been so insane. But, behind the common myths and tales is reality, cold, hard reality. It varies from the heat of open flame to the snow of the bitter cold – from the rush of blood in a thudding heart to the frozen, immortal heart of the dead that haven't deceased."

"How the hell am I supposed to understand a word you're saying?!" Dad was now mad, his face some shade of red. "Cut the Edgar Allan Poe crap and tell me what you're saying in English!"

"I'm saying that not everything is a lie. While the unicorns haven't shown up yet, there's the possibility that they do exist." My voice had a side of amusement, as if it were some sort of inside joke.

The blank look on his fading face answered me. He needed more information. "Dad, you don't want to nor need to know what I'm talking about, but I have this one warning for you: Don't make me angry, or you're going to find yourself in a very, very dire situation."

"What would make you angry?" he sighed.

"Telling me that I don't love Leah as much as I do."

"And how much is that?"

"She's more important to me than anything that there has ever been."

"More important to you then your books? Friends? Video Games? Family?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes."

"That's impossible! She's a girl, just any other girl that you will meet. You need to stop thinking like that or if you two ever grow apart, you're going to be crushed like a pancake faced with a rock." Dad was returning the argument to his original statement and adding more. Oh, he was going to get it hard!

The anger was rushing through my veins. "I'm getting mad," I warned.

"So what? I'm already mad! You rushed off on me in the middle of a conversation; you're speaking like a complete maniac! Come back, Kevin, come back to the real world."

Now he was just trying to aggravate me. So that's how he wanted to compete, huh? Well, two could play at that game! Without speaking a word, I started taking my clothes off.

"Wait… what are you doing? Kevin?" he was the slightest bit panicked, but mostly confused. "Kevin, what are you doing?"

"Repeat after me," the words stuck like barbed wire in my throat as I continued speaking. "Leah is a worthless, idiotic school girl who's no better than a vampire." That last part might confuse him… but let him be that way. He was about to get the shock of his whole damned life – or it would be if he said it. Otherwise I'd let him get away unscathed.

"Um… Leah is a worthless, idiotic school girl who's no better than a vampire?"

Oh, confuse him it had! But it had also triggered the most dominant gene in my body – it had insulted my imprintee. I didn't have time to feel the anger before I was trembling. I held onto the trembling stage as long as I could – hoping it would scare the crap out of him even before the real fun began.

It worked. "Kevin, are you okay?" he started backing away slowly.

He wasn't getting away that easily! I leapt into the air, letting my will be taken over as my pelt enshrouded me like a blanket. I landed not two feet in front of him, my snout in his face. I snorted, hot air escaping to his face.

A scream was building in his throat – I could practically hear it, but it didn't escape. Instead, he just stared at me with a look of pure idiocy on his face. "K-K-K-K-Kevin?" he stammered.

I growled and gave my head a nod. Who else would it be? Had he not just seen me phase into a freaking wolf?

"What… what is happening? What has done this to you?"

_You did. _I knew he couldn't hear me, but I gave him a special glare I hoped would send the message through.

"Can you… come back?" he trembled uncontrollably as he leaned against a tree. He couldn't run if he tried, so I stepped back with a nod. "Can you do it… now?"

In response, I sighed and shrugged. No one else was here to talk to, most of them were with their soul mates or busy with their families. I closed my eyes, ignoring him as I forced myself into a small body. While it had given me just enough anger to phase, the insults had worn off quickly due to the fact I knew they weren't true.

"Kevin!" he seemed relieved as I came back, grabbing for my pants even before the transformation was complete. I'd remembered to take them off, hell I was going to put them on!

"And that," I growled, "is why you don't make me angry."

"Does that happen often?"

"Only when I allow myself to." I let myself smirk faintly. "Now, can you understand?"

"Why did you tremble? What caused that to happen – apart from anger?"

"Trembling is a part of the phasing process. You caused it to happen. You insulted my soul mate. After that, it's hard _not _to phase!" I almost laughed for some weird reason.

"But what's this whole… whatever you are thing have to do with Leah or your soul mate?"

"That, my father, is the whole reason I've phased for you. I am a werewolf. I can't tell you too much without putting you in trouble," – from the Volturi, of course! – "but I can tell you one thing. When we werewolves find our soul mates, we know damn well who they are."

"So that's how you know…?" he had grasped the concept, but couldn't quite figure out the details which was bothering him.

"It's called imprinting." How much I could tell him… but what would I say of it all? "It's when you find your soul mate. She could be a complete stranger or someone you've known your whole life, but for the first time you see her after you begin phasing, you know."

"How do you know, exactly?"

So he wanted the specifics? "Well, it's interesting. The first time you see her, the first time you look into her eyes, the world shifts. It's like… your whole center changes. Gravity is useless, you could be – would be – floating into space aimlessly. But, there is one thing holding you to the earth. Connecting you to the planet with the strongest of metal cables is her – whoever she may be. It is painful to be away from her, any distance whatsoever." I flinched at the thought.

He shook his head. "So you… _imprinted _on Leah?" he scratched his chin with his fingers.

"Exactly. That's how I can promise you that we'll be together, _forever."_ I snorted laughter. "And that is also why you must _never_ say one foul word about her – unless you want me going all wolf on you."

"Why do you change like that?"

"It's a long story that – for your safety – I can't explain." _Otherwise you'll be hunted by the vampire royalty and/or forced to become one of those stinking leeches._

"Fine, but tell me one thing," he glanced up, eyes squinted. "How many of you are there?"

"Oh, only about maybe fifteen in my pack. More are joining with… yeah. If the… reason we phase stays around much longer there's going to be a whole army of wolves running out of human sight." I chuckled darkly.

"I understand. I'm sorry… but how about we don't tell any of this to your mom, okay?"

"We've got a deal!" I sighed, rolling my eyes in exaggeration.

He glanced at me warily for a moment. "Kevin, how long have you really known Leah?"

A small chuckle escaped me. "About a good week now."

"But I thought only werewolves could imprint… humans never go that fast," he said.

"Exactly. This is a first… never before," I gave him a sly glance. "Never before has a werewolf imprinted on a werewolf."

"Her, too?"

"Yes. We wolves have telepathic connections…" that's all I'd say about that, "which I guess I'm thankful only last throughout one pack."

"There are more packs?"

"Two in the area. I'm in the Uley Pack. One of the worst things about my relationship with Leah is that she's in the Black Pack. Every day, to see her, one of us has to cross Treaty boundaries into the opposite Pack's territory. Exceptions have been made to the Treaty because the denial a wolf feels once he's been banned from seeing his imprintee is too great for the whole pack to suffer through."

"So… this has been happening since that camp, hasn't it?" we were making our way to out of the forest now, our voices getting quieter.

"Yes. That camp was when I learned all about this werewolf stuff." I glanced at him. "In conclusion to this conversation, I'd like to ask that you don't insult Leah – _ever._ Or else bad things will happen." I grinned, casting my teeth – which were sharper than they looked – at him in a threatening way.

"I can keep that deal," Dad said as he stared at the ground.

"Good. I-" a howl ripped the air, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"What?" Dad glanced at me, brow cocked in confusion.

"I need to go." Another howl sounded; the same voice. Usually no wolf howled twice in a row. There was a dire situation – every member was needed.

He said something, but I was too far away, even for my wolf ears. I leapt – careful to take my pants off. I would've phased in them, but there was a possibility I would need them.

Not a second after I phased, I was bombarded with a headache of thoughts.

_What has Alice seen?_

_ Is Jacob sure?_

_ Can we trust them?_

Inspecting their thoughts, I caught on quickly. Paul and Jarod had been patrolling the border as humans when they'd met Jacob. He'd said that there was an emergency that called for the unity of our packs, but he wouldn't say what. Paul had challenged him – asked him why he hadn't howled. Jacob had explained how rouge vampires were on their way into the area. Alice had seen them – and the serious threat they posed.

We had the advantage of surprise. While they would be expecting the Cullen's – with their scents reeking up the territory within a 100 mile radius – they wouldn't be expecting two packs of vampire-fighting werewolves at their sides!

Thoughts were flying almost too fast to catch. Most of the pack – except Quil and Embry – were already at the gathering spot. I could hear them making their way as I was.

Sam's voice was above them all. _Slow your thoughts! Jacob wouldn't speak anything but truth in such cases as this one. He won't ambush us; we are three times the size as his small little group of mutts._

I snapped my teeth with a snarl that I'm sure they could hear. _They are _not_ mutts! They're well-meaning werewolves that have just as much fight as any of us do._

_ Don't go getting attached to the Bugs and Bothers, Kevin. _

_ Too late, Collin._

_ Anyway, we will go in a neat order. _I jumped the ridge, finding my pack. Sam was on a rock, towering the others as he spoke. _I will lead flanked by Paul and Jarod. Collin – being the smallest – will be directly behind me surrounded by Kevin and Brady. They will be followed by Quil and Embry. Everyone else will run about ten feet away as scouts. _

_ Yes, Sam. _We fell into order. I glanced at Collin, his head at about my shoulders. I could easily see Brady, only a few inches shorter than me. I hadn't noticed – I was growing fast.

We sprinted to the border – the pace easy for our long legs. I listened to the sounds around me, especially the thudding of every single heart from my pack mates surrounding me. They all beat with the blood of warriors that rushed through the heart – a heart so strong that it had to maintain the body that could kill the most dangerous creatures on planet earth.

The border arrived. I smelt them before anyone else – the Black Pack waiting for us. I gave an excited bark, my tail raised slightly. Every step came lighter as my anticipation rose.

_Keep it under control, Kevin._

_ Chill, Brady, I'm _completely _under control._

_ Whatever you say._

They were waiting just on the other side. Our patrol broke order, me taking a few steps ahead while the rest fell behind. I strutted right up to the border – to face the Black Pack. Jacob was a few inches away from me, Leah at his shoulder. She leaned forward toward me, tail raising a little. _Hey, Kevin._

_ Fancy seeing you here, _I smirked and gave her a playful glance.

_Kevin, get back here._ Sam's voice intruded my thoughts. I cast him a dirty glance before retreating a pace.

_Is it true, Jacob? _Sam stepped forward so he was about beside me, a few feet from the border. _Is there a rouge vampire looking for blood?_

_ Yes, Sam. Every word of that is true – except the tense. It's not a vampire, it's _vampires. He snapped his teeth. _A coven of human-draining vampires. I've never heard of it – nor have any of the Cullen's, but if Alice has seen it, then I trust that it is to happen._

_ How can we be of your assistance?_

_ We need to combine forces. Our goal is to demolish this coven – don't tell Carlisle that. He believes that we can get away in peace, but if they don't drink here they'll drain somewhere else. Every human deserves their life; it's our job to secure it for them. _

_ What is the size? _Everyone was getting excited. Two packs of werewolves several vampires and a tiny opposing coven; this was going to be fun!

_Alice has seen the coven as maybe one vampire short of Cullen size. The vampires have promised to let us deal with it – being our nature and all._

Sam nodded. _Okay. When will they arrive?_

_ They will be crossing territory a few miles from the Cullen's house tomorrow – at dawn. I was thinking an ambush of some sort. _A smirk crossed the great russet wolf's face._ We'd give them a hell of a scare!_

Leah's eyes were on me. I attempted to keep paying attention to the other wolves, but that was nearly impossible. I felt heat seeming to radiate from every hair on my pelt. I glanced down, trying not to smile – and failing.

While distracted, I'd missed some of the conversation. _Come,_ Jacob said. _We'll show you where we're going to set the ambush._

I was the first one over the border, a meteor of tan. Not a second had passed since he'd thought the words – I was at Leah's side. She put her ears back and gazed at me affectionately, giving me a lick on the cheek.

It reminded me of the first kiss we'd shared earlier that day.

_Kevin, stop! I don't want to hear about that!_

_ We're right here._

_ I can handle this stuff… but not with _her_!_

A quite snicker escaped me. I earned a glance from Leah. _What?_

_ I'm scarring everyone by thinking about you._

She snorted and glanced at the other wolves, crossing the border at their own hesitant pace.

_Kevin, have you ever faced a real, non-reliable vampire before? _Leah asked, her face concerned.

_No, and I can't wait! _I glanced in the direction that the vampires supposedly were.

She didn't respond, silent as she leaned gently against my side.

_What's wrong?_ I asked.

_I'm worried. _She admitted. _About you… if a vampire attacks you and you're in the wrong position at the wrong time-_

_ But I won't be. _I pressed my muzzle to her forehead reassuringly. _I'm better than that._

Still, she was dead serious. _It happened to me, before. If Jacob hadn't hit the vampire out of the way, I would've been shredded like clothes when we phase in them. _

The thought sent trembles of emotion gripping my spine. Fear, anger, sorrow, gratitude, and even a little regret were there – regret that I hadn't been there to help her. _I don't care if they touch me. _A growl escaped my wolf, my eyes narrowing and glaring ahead. _But they won't be laying a single fingertip on you!_

_ Don't make me have to bend over backwards to save your life, _her voice was now a little lighter, causing me relief.

_I swear I won't. First vampire that even looks at you is dead._

_Order!_ Jacob's voice intruded our conversation. _We'll walk in the following order. Sam and I will be in front with Leah, Jarod, and Paul._

No! I had to protect her! I snarled, gashing the air in front of me.

_And Kevin… _Jacob continued, slightly annoyed. _We'll be followed by the rest of the Uley Pack in lines of three. Seth will run ahead – him being the most hearing sensitive and all. If we run into trouble – today or tomorrow – Leah will run to get help from the Cullen's. _

Leah, Seth and I took the orders obediently, ducking our heads respectfully. The rest of my pack hesitated and did the same, only after receiving a glare from Sam.

We set out. Jacob and Sam were a few paces ahead, Paul and Jarod flanking Sam. I was on the other side, protecting Leah from the forest surrounding while she flanked Jacob. I paid heed to no one, watching for the smallest sign of danger.

_Here._ Jacob drew to a halt, turning and motioning around him. _This is where they will walk by tomorrow just after dawn. I suspect that we should all meet here around 4:00, no howling signals to be safe. Now let's split up and find spots to hide in wait._

Quil and Embry broke away first, curiously sniffing clumps of ferns too small to hide in.

_Come, _I thought to Leah, _we're going to hide together._

She laughed almost silently and followed as I began to drift around aimlessly.

We searched a few minutes, but there was nowhere big enough to hide – that I could see, at least. Sam, Jacob, Seth, and Embry seemed to have no trouble. They had always been the better thinkers.

_Hey, Kevin, what about up there? _Leah motioned to a rocky ridge only a few hundred yards away. _If we could find a way to hide over there, we could turn and ambush them once the battl_e _has begun as a little aftershock._

_ That's a brilliant idea! _I nuzzled her with my snout before rocketing at full-speed to the ridge. It was a good three times my height, but it had several little cave-like cracks to hide in. I crawled into one, Leah in another. It would work perfectly.

Sam was inspecting all our hiding places. He passed us with a silent nod, his thoughts not directed for me to hear.

I crawled out of my cave, glancing at Leah in her scrunched, still secretive position. _Good find,_ I noted.

_Thank you. I think it's pretty good, if I do say so myself. _She glanced at the ground, as if embarrassed over some thought I couldn't read.

My mind opened to say something, but I lost words. My mind was as empty as outer space. I gazed at her, watching her fur ripple as she breathed in the cold air of Washington. A light drizzle had begun to fall, but she was perfectly sheltered. I watched her intently, getting soaked to my bones like an idiot as I did so.

This continued a few moments, until Sam's thoughts interrupted me yet again. _Let's go, we must rest for tomorrow's battle! _

Yips and yowls of consent greeted him as all the wolves – from both packs – started running toward the border in no particular order.

_I guess we should go. Ladies first? _I ducked my head, holding my paw up to my chest in a bow if I'd been human.

_Why, thank you, polite gentleman. _Her eyes glinted, suddenly impish. _Wanna race?_

_ You're on!_ I took off as fast as I could toward La Push, my feet hardly touching the ground long enough to propel.

I'd thought I had a good head start, thought that I'd given myself the win, but I was wrong.

She streaked past me, faster than any car I'd ever seen – even in races! Without looking back, she continued, a few feet in front of me. I growled and forced my muscles to work faster, harder, but they wouldn't, they couldn't.

The border arrived like a bullet in front of us. I skidded to a stop, nearly running into Sam, Paul, and Brady all at once.

_Watch it, Kevin. _Paul snapped at me, but turned away.

_Sorry…_

_ Just not fast enough yet. _Leah was smirking, her face just inches from mine as she appeared from nowhere.

_Not fast enough _yet_, _I growled with a leer.

_Kevin, we're leaving! _Sam's voice was like gunshot in my head, loud and echoing.

_I'm sorry… I've got to go._

_ Me too. _She glanced behind her at some silent order from Jacob.

_I guess I'll see you around… then. _The pain didn't last long. It was quick and antagonistic, but the numb was already beginning to wash over. Hopefully it would last until tomorrow… but I couldn't rely on anything definitely.

_See you around, Kevin. _She sighed and turned. I struggled to do the same, listening as she logged off my mind and phased.

Now I just had to make it until tomorrow.

**You review and I'll write! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! I don't know quite what I was thinking in the middle part but it all worked out. So see y'all later!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Fun little chapter I decided to throw in. :P Fight alert! Who doesn't like a good vampire werewolf action scene? You?! Seriously?! I didn't think so. : ) Anyhow… enjoy! It's a tad longer than previous chapters so… just a warning. **

Part 8 – Kevin's POV

_Silence!_

_ I'm being as silent as silent can get, Sam!_

_ Paul, if that is your silent than I'd hate to hear your loud._

_ Shut up, all of you! _I growled internally. _I couldn't hear a damn meteorite landing with all you talking!_

Finally, the silence that'd been demanded settled. I was hiding the cave, the first few rays of dawn just beginning to welcome the new day at the edge of the horizon. I could feel Leah, in the cave to my immediate right. We were waiting for the vampires to come.

Minutes passed, seconds and so on. I watched the sun making its journey up the sky. I'd begun to lose myself to this activity, when I heard Sam. _They're almost here! Seth can smell them._

_ Your brother has an impressive sense of smell, _I thought to Leah.

_He's not such a bad kid._ She admitted grudgingly. I could almost hear her smiling.

_I see them! _Brady's voice was thick with anticipation – one of his first battles as well.

_Wait for the order. _Sam growled. _We attack as one._

I was frozen, my breath hardly disturbing the air around it. Now they were close enough so I smelt them – they stank like the frozen pits of hell.

Their footfalls – too light for any humans to hear, or feel – echoed loudly in our quest to ambush. A few hushed murmurs – very fast – sounded in their bell-like vampire ways.

_Kevin, they're approaching your rock, _Collin warned anxiously.

_No problem. How many are there?_

_ From what I can see… six. Their eyes are black. They're hungry._

_ Like I said no problem._

Silence evolved again over us. They were definitely heading in the direction Leah and I were hidden. My fur started rising along my hackles, my teeth baring as I waited to strike.

Nothing. There was nothing. No voices, no footsteps, no glimmer of their skin. Crap, they were gone – and how easily they'd gotten away!

I probably jinxed it. I shouldn't have thought so soon.

Before I knew what was happening, I had two vampires in front of me, venom-enforced teeth bared at me as deep hissing scorched my ears. I cried in shock, quickly getting over this. _Sam, they're attacking!_

_ Hold on, Kevin, we're coming! _Jarod assured me.

_No, wait! We'll lose our advantage if we expose ourselves now. _Sam's voice was a growl. _Kevin, lead them out into the open where we can best them._

_ I'll try…_

The vampires straightened up, now smirking. "We weren't expecting to find any wolves in the area, but I suppose we could use a few practice kills before the real fun begins." The first vampire, a male, spoke in such a smooth voice, it felt odd to have it contexted over the shedding of my blood.

"By the time we've finished you, the whole of Forks will be at our fingertips." The female now spoke, crossing her arms and glancing at her partner. "Would you like to fight first?"

"My pleasure." He leapt at me. Using all the skills I'd rehearsed, I dodged and lunged. The best chance I had was to stay with the pack. Fighting, I made my way out to the cave that had trapped me and toward the pack as fast as I could. I knew they'd be just as fast as me, so I had to be swift.

My prediction proved true as I stumbled to the ground, something hooked to my left hind leg. Before it could break my strong bones, I gashed my teeth at him, catching his arm. There was a crack as he backed away; his arm looked as the dry desert ground might be – oddly crumbling.

_Guys, I need help!_ While I was looking forward to my battle, I wasn't too thrilled to be in on my own. All the real procedures we'd worked on were with the pack.

_Hold on, Kevin, just a few more paces._

_ Damn you Sam, damn you! _I cursed. They were coming; I could literally feel them at my tail.

_Attack! _Sam's order was like a blessing. I yipped relief, but that was cut short as the female leapt, wrapping her arms around my middle body.

_No!_ I thrashed frantically, but she was a strong one. She had me in an angle in which I couldn't move any of my limbs far enough – or strong enough, that is – to disable her.

"Lights out, mongrel." She snickered as the force around my ribs tightened, causing my breath to come harder. I coughed – gasping as a large, black force rained down next to me, dislodging the she-vamp.

_Thanks! _I leapt to my paws, quickly overwhelming any sense of pain I'd felt. With a howl, I leapt at Brady who was trapped by the male vampire. With a single swipe of my jaws, Brady was freed, leaving me to make a chew toy out of the enemy.

It took a matter of seconds to wrap my jaws around his head and crunch. I felt it crumble in my mouth to disgusting, dry dust. I spit it out. We had to finish this battle quickly – to ensure he didn't make a reappearance.

Everyone seemed to have everything under control. Sam finished off the she-vamp. Quil and Embry had just killed another male. Brady, Collin, Seth, and Jacob were killing two more at the moment.

That left one.

I gazed around – but couldn't find it. Something wasn't right – an off sensation in my brain. What could possibly be wrong, though?

It clicked like a light-switch. I couldn't hear – nobody. Sam was gazing around in a panic, obviously shouting demands that no one was interpreting. This could only mean one thing.

The last vampire had powers, and those powers were stopping our telepathic communication.

Leah… I had to find Leah! She could be wounded! She would have my leg for thinking that way, but I couldn't help it. I needed to see Leah – for the health of my mentality.

_Leah! Leah!_ My voice echoed hopelessly back to myself. I couldn't see her. Everyone else was there – except her.

Scouring my brain, I turned to stare in the direction I had last seen her. The cave! Without a moment of hesitation, I took off to the cave.

The reek of vampire greeted me, along with Leah's beautiful aroma. She was panting hard, a low chuckle escaping the vampire. He hissed. There was a crack, and a painful howl.

_Leah!_ I howled vengeance as I skid to a halt in front of the cave. I bounded forward, hoping that I had entrapped the vampire in the cave.

Fortunately, my theory was right. The vampire was trapped, giving me the advantage vice versa the opposing. I didn't look; I attacked before I could even think, catching the vampire's shoulder in my jaws and pulling it out of the den.

Its hand reached for my neck so it could choke me, but I threw it so that it was a good few hundred feet away. It landed on its feet, turning to me quickly.

Before it attacked again, my pack was on it –the majority of it anyway. A few teeth snaps and cracks later, my hearing was back.

_That son of a bitch cut off our communications!_

_ It doesn't matter. Now he's dead. Jake, grab the matches. Would you like to phase to light it, or should I?  
I'll do it Sam. _

_ Thanks._

Through the link that connected Sam to Jacob, I heard something that I'm not sure Jacob meant for us to hear. It was Seth's cry of pain, of worry, of loss. _LEAH!_

_ What's wrong? _I turned with the energy of a lightning bolt to stare into the cave.

Leah was lying – nearly motionless – on her side. Her breath was quick and shallow. Blood was emerging from a small gash on her fore leg, but the real damage must have been inside, considering she didn't react when I tried to talk to her.

_Somebody, Leah's hurt! Get Carlisle! Paul, Jarod, Brady, Collin, Sam, GET CARLISLE!_

_ Relax, Kevin. She'll be okay. _Sam rolled his eyes. _Collin, go._

_ Leah? _I nudged her cheek with my muzzle. Her breath was coming shallower. Something shifted inside me in that moment – just as it had when I first met her gaze. I felt as if I had no purpose. Half of me was dead, useless, lifeless. _Leah?! _Panic engulfed the part of me that wasn't growing numb. _Leah!_ The energy from the panic was frightening. I trembled, whining. The force was building up inside me, threatening to explode. I had to get it out… had to get it out now.

Lifting my head, I howled. It was one of the loudest noises I'd ever made in my whole life – even as a werewolf. Many of the wolves flinched away. I was subconsciously aware of their thoughts complaining about my volume, but I ignored them. I howled long and hard, easing my pain as I did so.

_Kevin, Carlisle's here, shut the hell up! _Paul pleaded eventually.

_ Carlisle! _I leapt from my howling position into the air, phasing and falling to the ground in a quick, single motion. I landed on my hands and feet, re-dressing myself quickly.

"Carlisle, over here!" Wherever he was, he was sure to hear me.

Not a second after the words were spoken, he was at my side. "Has something happened, Kevin?" he asked in a smooth voice that made me flinch.

"Yes, get your ass into that cave and look at Leah!" I pointed urgently.

"On it." He was gone before the words were spoken, sensing my urgency.

I turned; about to walk into the cave, but Seth and Jacob blocked me. "Move!" I demanded.

"No. Carlisle needs space to treat her." Jacob's growl was defendant.

"I need to get in there! You have no authority over me, Jacob Black!"

"But I do." Sam's voice snarled from behind me. "Give Carlisle space, Kevin."

Casting a hard glare at Sam, I snarled viciously and turned away, sprinting toward the dense trees. I didn't know where I would go, but I would run. I still felt intact, she was alive. If she were dead, I would be feeling it – without a doubt.

I ran for a long time, just moving at random. Circles around the area within a five mile radius. I had to move – to escape the anxiety that was threatening to overcome me. They had to tell me when I could see her. They knew it would drive me crazy. She had to be getting better soon, right?

After a long hour of running, a howl arose from the west. I stopped dead. That was near where the house was – she was at the house!

Without bothering to take my clothes off, I leapt and phased, a growl in the back of my throat. I let out a howl as I started sprinting toward the house.

It didn't take me five minutes, at the pace I ran. I skidded to a halt directly at the steps, growling and barking. Edward glanced out at me through the glass walls and gave a hushed laugh. "Somebody, Kevin forgot to take off his clothes."

Why did I have to phase in my clothes? Now I got leech-stinking stuff! That was my last real good shirt… my birthday was a good few months away. Maybe Dad would understand… tell Mom I was outgrowing my good clothes.

Emmett came out with a pair of pants. I put them on. They were only a little big, good. "Where's Leah?" I demanded, glaring at Carlisle as I walked inside.

"In her room." He was reading a book, a picture of ease.

I ran upstairs – taking two/three stairs at a time. "Leah!" I gasped as I skidded into her room.

She was lying on her bed, sound asleep or still passed out – I didn't know. She was still in her wolf form, not having phased yet.

Quietly, I approached her bed and watched her gentle breathing. "Leah?" my voice wasn't panicking now. She was okay, I was okay.

She stirred gently, but fell back into what appeared to be a deeper sleep. She smelled… off. Medication, thanks a lot, Carlisle!

The hours dragged by. I watched her. Noon came to and left. Either that medication was damn strong, or she was completely out of it – which? I wasn't sure. The afternoon turned to evening. 6:00, 7:00, 8:00. My unease as growing. With each passing hour, her breathing became stronger, but she never seemed to come to.

11:00. I snapped – my parents would be worried. It was Sunday, a school night. My mother would be sick, wondering where I was and why I'd sneaked out. My father – knowing what he did and what I'd told him – wouldn't be as worried.

I speed-walked downstairs, not wanting to miss more than a few seconds with Leah. My pack was waiting loyally, Sam concerned about my well-being. They all looked up hopefully. I shook my head.

"Kevin, we need to go. We can't wait forever for Leah to wake up. She'll be fine." Collin spoke first.

"No. I'm not leaving her." I growled.

"What do you want us to do?" Brady caught that I had a plan, considering I was away from Leah for more than a second.

"I need someone to tell my parents I'm okay. My dad knows… you can give him a little more private info."

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"Sam," One of the members – I'm not sure what his name was – complained. "We can't let him stay here unprotected. It's useless, he can't waste more time sitting here."

"You haven't imprinted, Tony, you don't understand what he's going through." Jarod growled. "When a wolf imprints, he's drawn to his imprintee at all times – _especially _when they're ill."

"Exactly." Sam stood. "We will all go pay a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Clark now, if they're still up, of course."

Tony seemed about ready to complain again, but he didn't. Sam Paul and Jarod stood, leading the way for all the others to follow, leaving me with the Cullen's and the Black Pack.

Sulkily, I made my way back upstairs. Maybe she'd woken up in that short amount of time? That was a dead hope – I realized. She was as asleep as when I'd left her.

For the remainder of the night, I lay in her bed next to her – stroking her fur or napping, whichever seemed more interesting at the time.

6:00. She finally stirred. A whimper and twitch of her legs. "Leah?" I asked, wrapping my arm around under her and turning her head so she faced me. "Leah?"

She blinked. It was a relief to see her eyes again – it felt like forever. "You're awake," I announced quietly and cradled as much of her as I could handle.

Confused, she glanced at the clock and realized the time. I felt the first tremors. She was going to phase. "Want me to go – maybe get Seth or Jake?"

No. Her gigantic head shook. I crawled out of the bed and to her dresser, grabbing the first to articles of clothing I saw. I handed them to her silently and turned around, waiting.

"Ow!" I jumped around to see her curled into a ball under her blankets. She was reaching for the clothes.

"Leah, you okay?" I asked in a tentative manner. She didn't appreciate being babied.

"No, what did Carlisle say was wrong?"

"He said nothing." I glanced at the door. "Would you like me to go get him?"

"That idiotic ass of a leech! It just about paralyzed me! Dammit, I'll have its head off by sunset!" For the next few moments, she went along cursing. It amused me greatly.

"Don't worry; it's dead. Both of the pack's had a hay day tearing it to shreds."

"I don't understand." She'd calmed down, staring at me with a confused expression. "I called for help, but nobody came. I was cornered and that thing was strong."

"It had powers." My voice was low and grave. "It cut off our telepathic communications. It practically disabled us in that simple motion. You were passed out by the time I got that thing out of the cave and into the circle of revenge-thirsty werewolves."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Just over a day, now. It's 6:00 AM."

"Kevin, have you been here the whole time?" she looked like she felt guilty.

"Every second except for the ones leading up to when they brought you to the house – they made me leave." I snarled lightly.

"You need to go to school."

"No! I'm not leaving!" I complained.

"You need to get your education – you've missed enough in the last month." She glanced at me innocently – beautifully. "I want you to go to school… for me? It'll make me feel better."

Crap, I was wrapped around her little finger.

With a defeated sigh, I nodded. "I'll go to school, but the second it's over, I'm coming back here!"

"Better get going, hotshot. Don't want to keep your parents waiting… and you need a shower." She wrinkled her nose in a teasing way. "You smell like dead leeches!"

"I do?" I sniffed myself. Sure enough, I did. I hadn't even noticed! "Well… I guess if you insist… I'll be back five minutes after schools out, I swear!"

"Take your time…" her words drifted on the breeze as I hurled myself out the window, phasing in the middle of the jump. Well then… maybe a quick trip to my room before I knocked on the door and greeted my parents.

About five minutes of sprinting got me home, and also gave the pack a full update about Leah's status and my plans for the evening.

_Kevin, we've heard howls about peculiar vampire activities in lower South America, _Sam explained to me as I neared the house. _I was going to take all the wolves with me… but we'll have to work around that._

_ But, Sam, how would we explain to our parents?_

_ I don't know. Give me a day to think about it… but we need to go and check things out down there._

_ Okay. I'm home… phase you later._

_ Bye, Kevin._

The window was ahead of me. Not many people were up and about yet, so I made to the window in my fur and only phased to get in. Grabbing the first two clothes I saw, I put them on and jumped outside, running around front of the house.

In a matter of seconds I'd be facing my worry-some mother and frustrating father. Great. I knocked on the door loudly, knowing they'd been up quite awhile.

They had been waiting. The door was open in under half a minute, my parents greeting me cheerily. "We heard Leah was in trouble?" Mom was the most worried.

"Umm… yeah. How much did they tell you?" I gulped.

"They said she fell down a flight of stairs and broke a few ribs. It's a miracle they didn't puncture her lungs!" Mom hugged me. "How is Leah dealing with it?"

"Well." That's what happened? Broken ribs? Nothing that couldn't be healed in another day of resting. Good.

By the look in his eyes, I knew Dad hadn't heard anymore. "Come on, Kevin. Let's get you back to your room and ready for school." He motioned with his hand. Time to ready my story.

"Okay," I mumbled. Thankfully, Mom probably suspected my hopes were down about school. Truthfully, I couldn't wait to get to school and see Brady and Cohl. I could probably talk to them about Leah – at least Brady, that is.

We walked to my room silently. Only inside did my dad look up at me. "So, what really happened?" he asked.

"I'll give you the version that won't send the police of the supernatural world after you." I started packing my books into my backpack. I hadn't done any homework. "There were complications with enemy forces. We teamed up with the Black Pack to ambush them. Leah and I hid in separate caves. They actually ambushed us, one of them had powers that disabled our telepathic communication and that was the one that got to Leah. By the time I found her, it had already knocked her unconscious. I threw the damned… we'll call them leeches… I threw the damned leech to the center of two packs of hungry werewolves and we took Leah back to the… we'll call them parasites… we took Leah back to her room at the parasite's house."

He didn't ask anymore. "How long until she heals?"

"Maybe another day." I shrugged. "I'm going there after school."

"Need a ride?"

"No, I'll get there faster on paw."

"Okay. Take a shower… you have some funky cologne on." He gave me an odd look. Their stenches were vile to us, but tempting to the humans.

As insisted, I took a shower. I was at the bus stop on time to see Brady arrive with the now recognizable Tony. "Hey, guys." I said.

"We heard Leah's doing better, that's good." Brady offered.

"Yeah… she'll be good as new sooner or later. Until then… we'll have to worry about her moving to Charlie's place."

"Bella's dad?" Tony asked.

"Yes. Her mom's moved in with Charlie and requested she and Seth do the same." I hung my head a little, staring at the ground. "But we're not sure how that's going to work out now…"

"We've got your back, Brother," Tony assured me. "You'll see her plenty."

"I like to think that." The bus pulled to a screech before us, ending that conversation before it could get too super-wired.

The first few hours of the day passed uneventfully. Then came lunch. Brady and Tony now sat with me and Cohl. I hadn't even known them, let alone that they went to our school, before I'd started phasing.

"Where were you Thursday and Friday?" Cohl was asking. "I thought you'd gotten over your down time."

"Oh… just had a little issue with my parents and stuff." I shrugged as if it were nothing.

"I've been having problems with my parents. I mean… they've just been pissing me off so much lately." Cohl went on talking about the many, many times his parents had annoyed him lately. "I don't get it. I've just been so irritated lately… it's almost unnatural."

I had been listening with half an ear, but the word 'unnatural' seemed to click something in my brain. "Wait, I'm sorry, Cohl, I wasn't quite listening. What have your parents been annoying you about?"

He went on, complaining about the most absurd reasons to argue with his parents. Cleaning a dish. Letting the dog out. Being quite while his siblings were sleeping.

Brady elbowed me and nodded to Cohl on the other side of the table. Cohl couldn't be a wolf! He wasn't even in the bloodlines… or was he?

"Cohl, what is your ancestry?" I asked casually. "Like your grandparents and great grandparents and stuff like that?"

"Well, my great, great grandfather was a Black. But since then, we've had generations of girls. I'm one of the first boys born to our family's bloodline in the last hundred years or so."

The answer was clear. Cohl had a 98% chance of phasing in the next month. It would only make sense – why he didn't appear to know any of the legends (we asked him) or why his great grandparents hadn't phased. Girls don't usually phase. Another reason why Leah was special.

"Cat got your tongues? What's goin on?" Cohl asked, noticing our silence.

No, dog got our tongues. "Oh… just thinking about some stuff." Brady shrugged.

"What?" Cohl was suspicious.

"Oh… we're all just in a club and it has some difficulties." Tony replied.

"Can I join?"

"Maybe." I answered. "It has very… specific requirements for entry, though."

"What are those?"

"Cohl," I glanced at him. "I can't tell you that right now. We first must get permission from the club leader,"

"Sam Uley." Tony helped me. "He's very picky about who joins and he-"

"Likes to keep the club a secret." Brady caught on with a sly grin.

Cohl glanced at us, probably wondering how we could finish each other's sentences so clearly. We all knew each other's minds like the back of our hands; it was an unfortunate mishap that he would soon understand – maybe.

The bell rang for the end of lunch. "Well, I guess I'll see you all tomorrow… with more of the club's information?"

"Perhaps…" I shrugged.

"Sam likes to wait a few days before-"

"Before he lets anyone in. It can take up to a month."

"Oh, well then, I see ya."

As soon as he was out of earshot, I turned to Brady and Tony. "Club meeting," I growled.

"We'll have to wait for school to end," Tony sighed. "You've already been gone too much, Kevin. Besides, if you leave now, you most likely will not come back." His expression turned to a glare.

"That's only two hours," Brady put in.

"No! I'll come back, but in two hours I'm not going to any club meeting, no matter how much the leader begs me to. I didn't decide to be in this club and I didn't intend on becoming some soul-finding freak, but I have, and I'm going to go see Leah!" I growled, my vision starting to turn to a reddish hue. Calm down… calm down… otherwise I'd be out of here no matter what.

"Fine, don't go all wild on us, Kevin." Tony's eyes were hard as flint. "We were just suggesting. I guess we can go now." He cast a glance at Brady.

"Yes. Let's go." Brady looked around warily. "This club we've all joined is very demanding. I don't know why Cohl wants to be part of it."

"Because, idiot, he thinks you choose the club – but in reality, the club chooses you!" I snarled as I started walking toward the door that led to the rainy outdoors. Of course, one good thing about being the pack or 'club' was that you had to go to meetings anytime – including ones during the school day.

We walked a good way into the forest before stopping. "Make sure you get your clothes off, Mister No-Clothes, or else it'll be a long day at school," Tony snickered, using Leah's nick-name for me.

"Yeah, and you don't wanta see She-be-wolf without anything on, either." Brady continued.

"Actually, I think it's you guys who don't want She-be-wolf to see me without clothes… because I'd be gloating about it _all the time."_

That shut them up quickly enough.

As we phased, we could sense something was wrong. Everyone – except us and Collin – were there.

_We must leave by dusk. _Sam growled.

_But what about Kevin, Brady, Collin and Tony? _Jarod asked.

_We'll consult them about it later._

_ Would you like to consult us now? _I growled. Now they could all feel the betrayal we could feel.

_Kevin! _Paul exclaimed.

_We have news, _Quil was ashamed.

_We're leaving. _Embry spoke.

_What's going on? _I snarled, taking the lead of the three of us toward where we could sense them gathered. _Start from the beginning._

Sam's voice was grave. _We're going to South America to deal with the sudden outbreak of vampires. _

_ What outbreak? Why is our pack dividing?_

_ Our pack is dividing based on the fact four of our members have unknowing parents and can't leave for a few weeks at a time. _Sam's voice was like ice.

Brady and Tony snarled. I warned them each with a growl and they whined apology. _You can't leave us! We're the four youngest members!_

_ What about your news? Apparently you won't be the youngest for long. _Sam replied.

_How will we operate without you? How long will you be gone? Should we call Collin out now?_

_ No, Kevin. We'll discuss this after you've left school._

_ After school I'll be with you for five minutes – until I've reached the Cullen's. _

_ Okay. We'll talk then._

I hissed/spat and skidded to a halt, anger inflaming my pelt. I snorted and cast a glance at Brady and Tony in turn. Drool dripped from my jowls. _As you wish, Sam._

_ Go back to school._

_ Why? Want to talk more behind our back? _Brady was sour.

_You'll know every word spoken by tonight._

_ Let's go, guys. They will tell us after school. _I cast a mental glare at Sam. _I will want every little detail in those five minutes – and that's it._

_ I don't wanna go back, _Tony whimpered.

In reply, I phased right there – a good couple miles from school. "We will go back… very slowly."

The walk back to school was long… but the run to the Cullen's household was longer.

As promised, Sam was waiting to tell the four of us everything. Collin caught onto what he missed in a snap. Tony, Brady and I listened for the little details.

It turned out Sam, Jarod, Quil, Embry, Paul, and all the other wolves were headed to South America – leaving just the four of us because we were young and our parents didn't know.

_How will we operate without an Alpha? _Brady whimpered. Sam had also declared for the majority of the time they were going to be phased – not going to be in contact with us any way possible. _What about Cohl's possible phasing?_

_ Simple. _Sam replied. _Kevin, we're leaving you in charge._

_ Me? _I yelped, stopping in a dead halt just before the Cullen border.

_Yes, you._

_ Him? I'm older… _Collin complained. _Speaking phase-wise, of course._

_ I've chosen Kevin because he has connections to speak to the Black Pack… and he won't wage a war on them while we're away. He has incredible phasing control and Cohl is his friend. If – for any reason – Cohl is to phase before we come back, he will be able to control the wolf and with all your help, teach him the ways of our pack._

I shook off the doubt. _I'd be honored, Sam. I'll keep peace and vampires under control in your absence. _

_ I know, Kevin. We leave just before dusk – as humans. Now, brothers, good-bye. We'll talk to you elsewise._

He phased and was gone for good – or until the next time we happened to phase.

**Yes, I'm throwing Sam out of the picture for a while. And three quarters of the pack. :D Running 4 man pack! You shall see it is all for good reason leading up to the climax in chapter…. Yup. Keep reading and reviewing to find out! Thanks for the encouraging reviews, by the way. I'll work harder on this particular assignment. Update ASAP!**


	10. Chapter 9

**So about Super Bowl Sunday I was bored… right? So I spent the entire Super Bowl writing this Chapter. XD My siblings kept looking over my shoulder. They aren't Twilight Fans (I can't believe it either) and they didn't understand half of what was going on. Anyway, this particular chapter was a fun one to write… with the specific conflict I added. Now stop listening to me… read! **

Part 9 – Kevin's POV

Two weeks had passed since Sam's departure. Word had only come once – they were going to take at least another couple weeks.

I was sitting at lunch. Brady and Tony were elsewhere today – Tony having imprinted on a girl and Brady helping Tony get the courage to talk to her.

Cohl was going on about how irritating his family was – as he had the last 14 days. "I mean, they need to save so much hot water for the shower!" he growled.

Half-listening, I ate my pizza. It was the only good thing they had at the cafeteria, considering our school didn't believe in serving real food.

My eyes wandered over to Cohl. He was sweating, glaring at the table as if he could kill it in a single punch. He probably could. I'd gotten specific lessons from Sam: a wolf was about to phase for the first time if his skin was hot. But it was too soon for Cohl to phase… he still had a few weeks, didn't he?

Maybe he did, or maybe I was wrong. "Cohl, you feeling okay?" I asked.

"Yes."

I shifted so my elbow touched his. His skin felt the same temperature – regular. That meant he was just going through an angry stage. It happened often – longer to some more than others. He took the pizza and watched it for a moment before throwing it back down. "I mean, come on!" he growled, teeth baring. "How many times do little siblings have to wake you up in the middle of the night?! And I've heard howling every night around midnight. Who freakin howls in the middle of the night – some delinquent!?

Stifling a growl, I shrugged. Oops. Brady, Tony, Collin and I all participated in midnight meetings to discuss the earlier day's events – for no particular reason. His mood was catching onto me. It'd been two days since I'd last seen Leah… two days! She was perfectly healed, but I didn't want her to be out of my sight. Mom said we were too busy to have her over this week, and she was staying at Charlie's house.

"- it just doesn't make sense!" Cohl was shouting now. He smashed his hand to the table. There was a loud crack, but he hardly seemed to notice it.

I watched his face carefully. He was glaring at the air – his anger obviously having grown in the last moment. He was slowly starting to tremble – ever so slowly.

Wait a second… trembling? Hell no! Not here. Not now.

"Cohl!" I exclaimed, jumping up. "Cohl, calm down, now!"

"Why?" he was genuinely confused.

"Remember that club from a few weeks ago? Well, you can join it." I said. "Just calm down. I can meet you at your house after school…" Yeah… if he could make it that long.

"What does it matter if I join any stupid club!" he glared at the table, his trembling increasing slowly. He wasn't thinking about happy thoughts – I was sure of it.

I looked up. The door outside was on the other side of the crowded room. We wouldn't make it. He had to get out, now. I turned. There was a closet back there full of cleaning supplies. Secluded – great. With a locking door!

"Cohl, come!" I demanded.

"Why?" his expression was quizzical.

"Doesn't matter! Umm…. But your life depends on it!" Frantic – the one word to describe how I was feeling.

He turned away from me. Trembling… trembling… trembling… there was no turning back now. "Come!" I roared, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him toward the open closet door. "Get in there! Get in there now!"

Fury fresh on his face, he turned to me; shoulders hunched and teeth bared in an attack stance. Trembling…

"NOW!" I ran forward, crashing into him and pushing him into the room. Before him, I was on my feet. I pulled the door shut and locked it, the faint single bulb lighting up the room faintly.

He was gasping, hunched over as he tried to control himself. Apparently my first phase was one of the smoother ones.

"Cohl, listen to me. Listen to me very carefully. Something drastic is about to happen to you, and you need to follow my instructions. I can help you." My voice was calm and low.

"What do you know? You don't have sisters!" he said the words like the pained him and flinched in turn, crumbling onto his side as if he had a horrible stomach ache.

"I've gone through this, too. Remember when I was gone several weeks, well, this was why."

"YOU GAVE THIS TO ME?!" he roared.

"No! It's in your genes!" I couldn't calm him. I had to tell him what to do to phase, even though it would call for a very large, very angry wolf in a small room. "Cohl, do as I say. Take your clothes off if you feel they are of any worth to you."

"Hell no!" he yelled.

"Fine, then. Take all that anger – all those bitter feelings you have. Summon them in front of you."

By the look on his face, I could tell he had already done that.

"Now, imagine that in the body of a very large, very strong wolf. Push all your anger into the wolf. Let the wolf take over your body – embrace the wolf." I pushed myself into the farthest corner away from him in an attempt to preserve my body.

Slowly, as he did so, I saw him grow calmer. His trembling increased, but he looked at peace. Then – without any warning but a slight shimmer in the air – he exploded. I saw nothing but a mass of navy blue fur and white fangs – or claws – as I was shoved against the wall, the breath knocked out of me.

Panic stuck. He whimpered and stumbled in the small space as he attempted to find what had become of him. "Shh, Cohl, calm down."

He turned to me, brown eyes wide and whimpered. He yipped a few things – curses maybe – and trembled out of fear.

"Welcome to the club," I snickered.

He gave me a very dirty look.

"Okay, do you want to know how to become human again?"

He nodded, begging.

Take all your peace-of-mind and imagine the body of a human. Put it all into the human and you will become yourself again. Do the opposite of what you did before."

Minutes passed. He was slowly shrinking. As his undressed body was exposed, I couldn't help but flinch away. "Now, don't panic, but make a mental note to _always take you clothes off."_

He glanced down at himself and yelped, looking for his clothes that were in tatters at his feet.

"I told you to take your clothes off," I warned.

The look he gave me was so dirty, it made the last dirty look seem like a grin. I couldn't help smirking. "I know how you feel. The first time I phased, I did the same thing. In a month, everyone will know what you look like, so there'll be no reason to be ashamed."

_"_What has happened to me?" he demanded.

"I promise to explain everything," I said, "but right now, I have to go tell Brady and Tony you've phased. They'll be very interested to know how… early you are."

"You knew this was going to happen?" he barked.

"Yes. We've known for a couple weeks, now. When you first became angry, actually." He looked about to speak, but I stopped him. "We'll explain everything to you later. First, we must think about how to get you out of here."

"No!" he seemed very self-conscious all of a sudden.

"I'm going to send Tony in – him being third-in-command. I'll take Brady – my beta – and we're going to contact the Black Pack." Before he asked, I continued. "The Black Pack is a separate pack of werewolves. You have joined the Uley Pack. We – as werewolves – fight against the most dangerous predators on earth – the vampire. I know they're 'not real,' but they are, and that's why you have phased. A group of vampires called the Cullen's live in the area. The Black Pack protects them. I know a… very special wolf in the Black Pack that I am connected to. We're allies. We'll consult them and they'll help get you out of here. Until then, stay and let Tony watch out for you. Tony's going to be in his wolf form most of the time so we will have contact. Don't ask about that… there's too much to tell you for this closet."

"Okay… so you're going to consult your enemies – who are also your allies – to help get me out of this school without embarrassing myself. And this special wolf in the Black Pack is-" he waited for me to finish the sentence.

"The special wolf is Leah – the only girl ever to phase." I gulped not saying more.

He whistled. "I call dibs!"

Calm. Calm. Calm. "Shut up, Cohl." I snarled. "She's already taken."

"What, you jealous of that dude?"

"No, cause he's me." I smirked, now satisfied.

"Not fair! I didn't even get a chance!"

"She's MINE! You can go ahead and imprint on your own girl, but Leah's MINE!"

He didn't speak another word. I turned and left him alone in the room, running over to where Tony and Brady were sitting with Tony's imprintee.

"Hey, Kevin, this is Kiara," Tony motioned to the girl.

"Cool, not now, guys. We have a Code Red on our hands."

They were both alert. "Excuse me," Tony said to a very pretty girl, "but we've got some… stuff to work out.

Brady was at my side in a flash. "Cohl? But it's too early!"

"Well, that doesn't matter. He had too much anger in his system." We talked very quietly so no one else would hear.

"What are your orders?"

"Tony, you will go and keep him calm. He's in that closet over there, dead naked. He has a lot of questions. If it helps calm him, answer them. He might say a few things about imprinting… I slipped something accidently that made no sense to him. If he's settled, phase so we'll have contact."

"Yes, Kevin."

"What about me?" Brady asked eagerly.

"You're coming with me to get the Black Pack and make a plan."

"Okay! Let's get this ball rolling!" he howled quietly, running for the door.

"Take care of him, Tony." I blinked before following Brady.

Outside, I forgot to undress myself. No worry. It would probably make Cohl feel more comfortable.

Brady carefully inspected my thoughts. _Ha. Imprinting. Good job let Tony explain that._

_ Phew, it's the worst._

_ What'd you say about me? _Tony's voice was there when I hadn't expected it.

_Tony? Why aren't you with Cohl?_

_ He told me he only wants to talk to you, Kevin. That's the only thing he said to me. Now I'm guarding the door. _

_ Maybe you could have him phase?_

_ No, there's not nearly enough room!_

_ Gotta howl,_ Brady told me. _And you gotta do it so it sounds urgent._

_ Fine. _I lifted my head to the wind. We were already a few miles from school. Collin! We needed him too! I opened my mouth and howled as loud as I could.

Moments later, a howl and voice answered me._ Here, Kevin! Sorry, I was taking a math test! What's wrong?_

_ We have a Code Red. Read my thoughts._

_ Already? Damn… what about the Black Pack?_

I checked his coordinates. _Begin howling for them, you're a few miles ahead. Brady and I will howl as well until they click in._

Not a second later, his howled rolled off from the hills – summoning to the Black Pack. Brady and I lifted our voices in sync, howling as loud as our vocal cords would allow.

Finally, a howl greeted us. Jacob. I howled alone, now. We had to contact him, but there was no freaking way without Leah.

Leah. The name was sweet in my head. I could see Leah! And Seth… he was a good kid.

Now my howl was a little longer now, more directly for Leah.

A few long minutes later, she answered me. _What is it, Kevin? Jake just came to our front door and told us it was urgent. I've got Seth here, too. We're heading toward the border by the Big Oak tree._

_ We'll meet you there. We just have a pre-phasing complication with my friend Cohl. I'll open up my mind so you can read more. _I did so, but it took all the concentration I could muster.

_I see. _Her voice broke my focus. _How about we try to keep our minds open. When you did, I could also hear everyone elses thoughts. It could be helpful. _

_ Yes. Will do. _I struggled to take the main security off my mind. It was easier than completely exposing myself. Leah did the same.

_Leah, what the hell are you doing? _I heard Jacob, but couldn't exactly feel him.

_It's working! _I exclaimed.

_What, now we have no secrets between the packs? _Brady was annoyed.

_No matter. There they are!_

Collin was waiting at the border. Leah, led by Jacob and followed by Seth, arrived. _Leah, it's nice to see you again! _I felt more relaxed than I had a moment ago.

_Same here. It's been a long last few days. _She looked relieved.

_Agreed._

_ Um… hello! We have a problem here! _Brady growled.

_Yes. So, did all of you phase in your clothes? _It was much easier to communicate with open minds. Jacob's question was answered.

_No._

_ Yes._

_ Yes._

Jacob rolled his eyes. _Well, Brady's a student at the school so he will walk inside and pull the fire alarm. Everyone will run outside, someone will give Cohl their clothes and walla! _

_ Good idea. Hey, Seth, why don't you give Brady your clothes? He can take them inside to Cohl. They'll be a little small, but Jacob, Brady and I are the biggest and we've all phased in. _

_ I did… too. Cohl was too fidgety. _Tony sighed.

We were already a few miles from the school. _Clothes up! _Brady yipped to Seth.

Seth rolled his eyes. He growled as he threw them to Brady who caught them in his mouth. _Later, Bro's and Black's! _He phased in a single gesture. Leah flinched away and I grinned in a little humor. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly in return.

The rest of us stopped at the border of the trees, hiding as we watched Brady running – clothed – into the school.

_Tony, you might want to phase about now. _

_ Dude, I'm trapped in here._

Crap. Now we had two problems. Two sets of clothes but three wolves! _Cohl's the one freaking out. We need to get him out of there._

_ I'll stay phased, ya know, just because I don't want to freak him. I'll wait in this closet for a few hours until school's out or something._

_ Good job._

_ He's here! _

We all watched through Tony's mind as Cohl took the clothes and put them on. Leah flinched slightly at seeing another naked man, but shook it off. I placed my snout to her cheek. _Don't worry. It's not that bad… you've ought to be used to it. Besides, you still haven't seen me phase._

That was like saying 'at least I'm not dead' as you begin driving your car over a cliff. Suddenly, they were all thinking of me naked. _All _of them.

_Dammit, guys! Shut the hell up!_

I heard her snicker.

Then, an image came to me. I couldn't help as my mouth gaped. _Leah… _

_Damn you, Jacob! Shut up, Seth! _Leah roared.

I heard all other minds snicker as the two of us sat there, dumbfounded.

_Kevin, if you don't mind me ending this disturbing conversation, I'd like to tell you that Cohl is clothed and on his way out with hundreds of other students. _Tony interfered.

_Thanks, Tony. I- _I was cut off as I saw the students pouring out of the building – straight toward us. _Run!_

_ Doing that! _

I turned and rocketed away along with several other pairs of paws… all except one.

_Crap! Guys… help!_

_ Seth, WHAT DID YOU DO?! _Leah roared.

_Well… I slipped on some mud and… I'm surrounded by about three hundred high schoolers who are all staring at me like stupid pigeons. _

_ We're coming, Seth! _I turned and started racing back. Questions flew, but everyone followed me.

_Kevin, what are you doing? _Brady snarled.

_ Going to help a pack mate in need._

_ He's from the Black Pack!_

_ He's our Brother._

_ He's your Brother._

_ No matter, we're going to help him! _I demanded now, as the Alpha.

_As you wish._

The edge of the trees were visible. I slowed down – unlike Collin. He was too excited. He flew out of the trees. _We're coming- crap. Kevin… we have a situation._

They were both surrounded by the herd of students; now screaming as they tried to run.

Jacob and Brady flew into the crowd without further questions. _Guys! _It left me with Leah.

_What are we going to do? _Leah glanced at me. She would follow me – wherever I went.

_I'm going to go into that crowd and when Sam gets back, he's probably going to kill me._

_ Well, then, when Sam gets back, he's going to have my teeth tearing the flesh off his throat. _She snapped at her jaws.

_Humorous. _In sync, we threw ourselves into the crowd, barking at the students who fled to nearby shelter in the woods.

_Hey, Tony, I think you can come on out._

_ Already done. Thanks, Bro! _Tony's large, pure shaded gray figure exploded from the doors, followed by the human forms of Brady and Cohl.

_Brady, phase! _I howled for him.

"Coming, Kevin!"

"_That's _Kevin?!" Cohl gasped, staring at me.

I couldn't help a smirk and nod before I glanced sternly at Brady.

"Cohl, don't phase. You're not in control and if you do, I think you'll freak out. We have a very… strong relationship in the pack." Brady said as he leapt, phasing in his clothes. He ran away, leaving Cohl staring at the tattered remains.

I snapped at a kid, sending her screaming away. Leah cast me an impressed look. _Ya know you're kind of sexy when you're scaring people._

Blush would've flooded me, but instead, I growl/smiled. _I guess I should rampage schools more often._

_ Guys, shut up. _Brady sighed. _We've done enough; we need to run Cohl to the island._

_ Fine. Leah, would you like to come? _I asked. _I need to give Cohl the 'imprinting talk.' He was asking about it… and I might have brought up your name._

She smiled. _Of course I'm coming! Charlie's house is so bland – I hate it! I got vampire girl's old room! It still stinks of the leech that used to visit every night. _She wrinkled her nose.

I pressed my nose to hers, licking. _Leah, it's great to have you at my side._

_ I will always be here, forever. _She promised me.

We – Brady, Tony, Leah, Collin and I – ran/swam to the island as wolves. Cohl rode on my back the entire way. Only now did I truly realize – his skin felt normal because it was as hot as mine.

Once on the island, Cohl slid off me. We led him to the cabin. We didn't phase until we were at the door– due to lack of clothes. There were plenty inside.

"Have a seat," I motioned for Cohl to the desk. "It's time for your training, Pup." Leah stood at my side near the chalk board, the others going to play games at the back of the room.

Cohl stared at Leah. "So, before that whole… thing… you mentioned something about Leah being taken and her being your soul mate? You also said-"

"Do you want to start there?" I sighed.

"Yes, please. I want to know… how do you know that? How long have you even known her?"

I glanced at Leah, gazing up at me affectionately. I wrapped my arm around her back. "I've known her for about a month, now." I grinned, not taking my eyes off her.

"A month?"

"Yes. Imprinting is the term used for when a wolf finds his or her soul mate. The first time you see her, you'll know it's her."

"How? Does the person whom the werewolf imprints on imprint as well?"

"No. Only the wolf imprints. The only reason we're so… far along in our relationship is because Leah's also a werewolf, and we imprinted on each other."

"What's imprinting like? How do you know if you have imprinted?"

"Oh, you know." Leah assured him.

"It's like… the world shifts." I brought back the memories of my imprinting, hugging Leah closer to me. "Suddenly, all the things that make you, you – your family, friends, pack, abilities – they don't matter. Only one thing matters – her." I was watching her in awe, now.

"Or him." She added. "You would be whatever he – or she – needs. A friend, a guardian, a brother, a lover."

"An inspiration," I continued. "But you can't stay away from them. You feel like your entire world is revolved around that one person. It is almost physically painful to be away from her… or him." It was odd thinking about me being to Leah what Leah is to me.

"Wow. That's… intense." Cohl said, staring at us as if he were worried about intruding.

I smiled, pressing my lips to Leah's forehead. "Yes. Very. You remember my first days back to school? When I was so grouchy?"

"Yup."

"That was when I first imprinted. I couldn't see Leah – and I was heartbroken. I hadn't even really spoken to her – hardly knew her name!"

"Has everyone imprinted?"

"Most everyone in this room – except Brady."

Cohl glanced at Brady.

"Okay, but now let's get the real stuff started. There's a thermometer in the desk. Take your temperature." I motioned, picking up the chalk.

He did so. His mouth dropped and he stared.

"What is it?"

"107!" he choked.

"Hm… a little low." I mumbled as I wrote it.

"A LITTLE LOW?!"

"Yeah, I'm 109."

"110." Leah offered.

"Your point being?" Cohl sighed.

"107 is your new average temperature – don't let your mom take it unless you want a freak out. If you have problems, tell the pack and we'll get Carlisle to pay your family a visit."

"Carlisle?"

"And here I pass the conversation off to Leah." I motioned to her, drifting away. "You see, the Black Pack protects the vampire family called the Cullen's. Leah has better knowledge of them."

"The Cullen's are a family of vampires that drink animal blood instead of humans." Leah began. "They are led by the Coven Father, Carlisle. He's about 300 years old. We let the vampires live because they're no threat to the human race. We only kill vampires that kill humans. In fact, just a few weeks ago we defeated some blood-thirsty brutes."

For the next few hours, Leah went over every single member of the coven and pack. It was a long time, but Cohl paid thorough attention.

"Okay," I said when she'd finished. "Now is time for your first run with the pack."

"Yes! You mean I get to run as the wolf?" he jumped up.

"Of course, but there are a few things you need to know. First, we wolves have a telepathic communication."

Twenty minutes later, we were outside. Cohl knew what was going on and was ready to go. "Okay," I said, "take your clothes off. If any of you look at Leah, you'll have my teeth in your throat."

A few of them rolled their eyes, Leah included.

I phased to find them waiting for me.

_Woah! This is amazing! _Cohl howled.

_Yes, it is. _I agreed. _But I don't like the thoughts you were thinking about Leah a few minutes ago…_

_ Shut up, Kevin._

_ Hey, Sam left me in charge. You can't order me around. _I smirked.

Leah was at my side. _Okay, Mister No-Clothes, this is a big improvement for you! _She licked my cheek. _Good boy! Clothes off, then phase._

I rolled my eyes but returned them to her. _It's quite different… phasing without clothes. Not as satisfying._ My voice was sarcastic.

_Hey, Kevin, your thoughts are getting weird. _

_ That reminds me, Cohl. I have a few memories to share with you. _I thought back to my imprinting, going over every detail.

_** Standing on the other side of the border was a girl, a beautiful girl. I couldn't see her clearly, but she struck me as this.**_

_** It was then she turned around, and I looked into her eyes. **_

_** The world stopped moving, leaving me staggering at a halt. Who was I? The answer lay before me. Who I'd thought I was – with my skills and all – they didn't matter. Not my family, not my friends, not my pack. They no longer made me who I was; they were simply the gravity that I thought had been holding me to the earth.**_

_** But now that form gravity was useless. My center had shifted like the earth, and now my world was evolved around this one, beautiful stranger whom I'd just laid my eyes upon for the first time. Whatever she needed me to be for her – a friend, a brother, a guardian, an inspiration – I would be that for her. Whenever she needed me, I would be here. Through sickness or health, my loyalty would never waver.**_

Cohl watched silently, awestruck. _That's… interesting._

_ So you'll know when you imprint._

_ But what's the best part of the experience? _Cohl asked.

Everyone was watching me, now. _The best part of when I imprinted? _I stated the question as I gazed into Leah's beautiful eyes. _The best part of imprinting was when I looked into her eyes. All those feeling were boiling within me, but most amazing, significant part was while I was looking into her eyes, and I saw that she felt the exact same way._

**It's sort of the same ending I used for Chapter 2… but I like that particular ending. : ) More action coming up next Chapter and a little notch up on the romance. After all, this **_**is**_** a love story. XD But anyway… I guess that's all I've got to say for now. Until next Chapter…. **


	11. Chapter 10

**Little romance in this Chapter… need that sometimes. A fight and some talking. Worrying Kevin blah blah blah. I've spent the last several hours planning ahead to Chapter 17 XP. Now it's time to write more! Anyhow… read, write, review!**

Part 10 – Kevin's POV

_Guys, what's that smell?_

We had been running a good, long time. Cohl had picked up a scent off the trail we were keeping to for his first time.

I sniffed the air – in the lead with Leah at my side. _I don't know what you're smelling, Cohl._

_ That smell! _Cohl was inspecting a small bush. It looked undisturbed.

Brady stumbled to him as I attempted to unscramble the scent in my mind. It was disgusting, but Cohl's view point made it hard to figure out what it was.

On the other hand, the scent Brady gave us was clear. _Vampire! _We all growled.

_That's vampire? _Cohl stepped back, snorting and sneezing the scent out of his nostrils. _It stinks like hell!_

_ Yeah, you'll get used to it. _I promised him. _But yes, it is disgusting._

_ It's… like… really strong, _he watched the spot warily.

_In that case, we better keep our eyes, ears, and minds open. _

_ On it, Kevin. _

_And Leah… stay by me. _I begged, my eyes wide and innocent.

_Kevin, _she complained.

_I know… but it's just for the sake of my mentality. _I whimpered.

_Fine. _She trotted especially close to my side, nuzzling my cheek gently, _but just to keep you safe._

_ Imprinting – crap! I don't need any damn soul mate to make me happy – hell, I don't want to have to depend on someone like that! It's like a weakness._

Leah and I laughed in sync. I glanced back at Cohl. _I said the same thing and regretted it the second I imprinted._

_Keep telling me that._

_We will._

_ Code Sparklez. _

I rolled my eyes. _Brady, in werewolf speak; please._

_ Code Blue you morons! _

_ Crap! _I snapped into Alpha mode. _Cohl, you have no training. Tony, stay with Cohl. You're one of the best fighters here; apart from Leah. Brady, Collin, Leah, stay behind me. Don't put yourselves in any sort of danger whatsoever. _

_Yes, Kevin. _

The fell into file behind me, Leah directly while Brady and Collin flanked her. Tony and Cohl loped in the opposite direction the scent was coming from.

I snapped my jaws. _It smells close. Any identification, Brady? _He had the best sense of smell between the four of us.

_Umm… _he thought and inspected the scent carefully. _Human-drinking she-vamp. She smells very vampire-y. She must be low on blood; otherwise we'd be smelling that clearer than day._

_ A hungry vampire, _I snorted, _alleluia._

Leah snorted. _The scent is getting stronger. I bet she isn't a mile from our current location. _

_Correct. _I checked Tony and Cohl's coordinates. They were far enough away to be safe. _Good. Those two are safe; let's take care of this bitch. Brady, Collin, stay behind a good several paces. Leah and I will lead. Watch your partner's back at all times._

I didn't like their thoughts, but I managed to ignore them all. We crept forward, looking around for the creature which we stalked.

Minutes ticked by slowly. Not a silent footstep or unsteady breath was heard. Maybe she had run away… but we could smell her stench from all around.

Suddenly, in a blur of white and black – she attacked. We hadn't even known she was right behind us! The first wolf she attacked was me – latching onto my hind leg. There was a loud crack as pain shot up it. I yelped and grasped her head between my jaws and tossed her away as if she were a wash cloth.

She landed on her feet; utterly still. Her hair was straight and black. Her eyes – raging ebony had only the slightest sparks of crimson in the tiniest flashes around her pupils. She hissed at me as I stood; feeling the bone mending itself back into place quickly. I snapped my jaws in a taunt. _Come at me, leech!_

And come at me she did! She was attacking me – but not physically. The pain was mentally strong. Most vampires had different powers – I knew what hers was. She could sense bonds. Perhaps it was the way I sidestepped toward Leah, or the panic expressed on her face when I was attacked – whatever the cause, she knew.

Leah writhed on the ground. The vampire hugged her. Before any pain could be inflicted, I lunged at the vamp. My teeth sliced a clean cut – causing cracks to spread up her arm rapidly as if she were dry, cracking earth.

Letting go of Leah, she turned to me – eyes raging. A hiss – and a solid fist lashing toward my face all before I knew what was even happening. My left eye was blinded temporarily – pain spasming in my head as I toppled to the ground. Her arms wrapped around me.

The world seemed to shrink. The edges of my vision grew hazy with a numb feeling. Wait… that wasn't numb, was it? That was pain; pain so intense that it felt numb. _Crack! Crack! Crack! _Yikes… what was that? _Smash! _I was choking on the blackness. It filled my lungs and head with dizziness. It didn't allow me to think like air did.

_Kevin! Kevin! _I could feel Leah's saccharine voice prodding the edge of my mind – but it was as if we had all been on one radio wave and I were fading to another. A thought occurred to me. If I didn't open my mind, Leah couldn't hear Brady or Collin – vice versa.

That was the last thought I processed. _Crash! _The pain emerged from behind the cover of numbness – the blackness instantly gone. I saw a light – a very bright light. It blinded me and made me feel so many emotions at once that I felt faint. It was hard to breathe. It was hard to think. It was hard to not move, but impossible to move.

A final crack occurred, and blackness evolved me once and for all. My eyes fluttered to a shut – my heaving sides shallowing. I gasped – falling into an abyss of nothingness.

But the abyss wasn't completely empty. No – there was one last reoccurring thought that played in my empty mind like a broken record. Distress, agony, selflessness, and defeat. In the emotionless world, I felt emotion. I felt like I was letting someone down – someone that I cared for dearly. I just couldn't imagine whom.

Seconds dragged by as long as minutes in that abyss. Nothing, but everything was relevant to me. A gentle pair of hands prodding my skin – had I phased? The stink of a vampire; not so offending so I knew it must be Carlisle. The companionship of others that I trusted as I was carried away. There was a lot of bumpiness I was aware of – riding in something? But for whatever frame of times I wasn't being carried, I was surrounded by the warm arms of someone – or something. I couldn't tell.

All these motions ended as soon as I was set down somewhere. There I stayed – unmoving apart from my gentle breathe. There was something wrapped in my right arm.

The blackness surrounded me. It wasn't until after a good I'd guess several hours after it'd trapped me did I notice a shift in the atmosphere. It was growing lighter. The abyss had an end – I wasn't going to fall forever. Pain became sharp as it radiated from my left shoulder area and ribs (though they were less).

I made out a gray wall – my ceiling. I was awake. Before attempting movement, I blinked and stared for some time. I didn't want to push it. Slowly, I then turned to look at what was in my right arm.

It was a girl – long and lean with beautiful, longish black hair. She snored quietly, looking at peace. Some time passed before I finally put a name to her face. Leah! Yes – now it was all coming back to me. "Leah," I whispered.

At the sound of her name, she was aroused. Her gaze was sleepy as she looked up at me. "Kevin!" Relief flooded through her as she scooted closer to me in an instant, wrapping my chest in a hug. "You're alive!"

"Did you ever think I'd leave you here alone?" I asked her rhetorically.

"No. I wouldn't have let you go anywhere without me," she answered anyway.

I moved my right arm and clapsed her against my chest. Her head rested on my neck, causing dull pain to throb. I attempted to move my left arm, but stopped when searing, venomous pain slashed up it. I groaned, causing Leah to look up. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" I asked, staring at my arm in disbelief. Why couldn't I control it?

"The she-vamp attacked and you were pushed to the ground. She cracked your ribs – which healed safely and are just recovering yet. Then she broke your arm and bit you. The venom is why you're taking so long to heal. As long as it's in your system and you're fighting it, your healing will take longer. But your body heat will burn it off soon. As a finishing touch, she broke your shoulder. Any further up and she would've had your spine…" she broke off as conflicting expressions broke her composure. She was basically saying any further up, and I would be dead.

"And let's not go there," I growled as I shook my head away from the thought. She started sitting up to look back at me, but I held her hand so she couldn't go too far away.

"Let's. Kevin," she was watching me very closely, her voice strict yet forgiving. "Never do that to me again."

"What?" I asked, completely innocent. "What did I do?"

She seemed to be fighting back several emotions as she spoke. Her voice had dropped to a whisper. "Never put yourself before me like that again."

"I can't promise that," I shook my head.

"You don't know the pain I've been through for the last two days-"

"Two days?"

"Yes." She shook her head. "Never do that to me again. Never jump in to save me and put yourself in harm's way again. It hurts me more if you get hurt than if that blood-sucking leech had drained the life out of me there." Her eyes were wide, serious. I'd never seen her so… so… tormented before.

"But…"

"No. No buts. Never do that to me again." She was furious to a point she'd never been with me before. "I will personally rip someone's throat out. Sam, Cohl, Seth's, I don't care whose but someone's. _Never do that again!"_

"Yes, Leah. I'll never let myself be harmed saving someone again."

"Even me."

"Even… you." I growled grudgingly. "Unless it's killing you." I ignored her sigh of exasperation.

"Fine. Like that'll ever happen," she replied curtly.

I stayed silent and watched her as she stared out the window. I simply smirked in return. Tugging her hand, I pulled her back down to me. "You aren't leaving, are you?"

"As if you could get me out of here." She settled down in a similar position as I had woken to find her in. I watched her steadily for a few moments before she spoke again. "What if your parents walk in? Won't they find it weird if I'm lying in bed with you?"

"Nah – as if I give a damn what they think." I rolled my eyes, my voice dripping in sarcasm.

"If you insist – but if you end up with 'the talk' don't come whining to me."

"I've had plenty of 'the talk'-ing to in the last decade and a half. Don't worry about it." I pressed my lips into her hair. "Sleep, now, Leah. You look like you've been up for a while."

She didn't respond. Within a few moments, she was asleep – and so was I.

The indistinct thump of footsteps woke me. Leah was still asleep beside me. Her breathing was slow and steady as her head rested on my shoulder. The footsteps were closer now, slowing as they approached the door. _Crap! _ I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

With a creek, the door opened indistinctly. It was Dad – I could tell by his scent. I couldn't smell anyone else because he would be blocking them for the most part. The door opened further as he watched Leah sleeping beside me carefully.

More feet thumped down the hall. Mom, Dammit. She defiantly wouldn't like it, but I had told Leah I didn't care what they saw. I put an effort in to oblige this promise.

I could imagine Mom shaking her head as she watched beside Dad. "They're a funny couple –that's for sure. Do you think they're moving too fast?"

"I think Kevin knows what he's doing." Dad responded for me.

"How can you be sure? It almost never goes right the first time." Mom doubted me.

"Kevin and Leah are both different. It'll work out, I'm sure."

"Maybe we should talk to him about it…"

"Sure!" Dad seemed that he would be more than pleased to talk to me like the parent and not the chew toy. "We'll do that as soon as he's woken and Leah is gone."

Now I most certainly didn't want Leah to leave.

"Maybe we should call her parents to let them know that she's here…"

"They already know that she's here," Dad pointed out.

"We should call them to come and make sure she's all right. I think all the worrying about Kevin's been stressful."

"I guess… but we don't know them."

"Maybe that nice Dr. Cullen knows them. He said he'd contact them."

"Sure."

There was a howl outside – unfamiliar to me. It must have been Cohl. It was accompanied by Jacob's voice from the other side of the border. I felt Leah stiffen as she was woken. I invisibly clapsed her still with my hand which was rested near her hip. Sensing my parents, she froze before continuing breathing slowly.

"Was that a wolf?" Mom asked, concern in her voice.

"Um… it sounded like it. I bet it's just a lost dog," I could hear Dad's voice tweaked in anxiety. He knew what that meant – it meant that we had work to do. "Come, let's go into the living room and start dinner. Kevin and Leah will be hungry when they wake up."

"I guess…" Mom seemed to be reluctant. I listened to their footsteps thumping faintly down the hall.

Only when they were completely gone, Leah sat up. She was wide-awake. "We've got to go… but you can't phase." She glared at me knowingly. "Not in your condition."

"Of course I-" I attempted sitting up, but was stopped by searing pain as it blew through my back – my ribs and shoulder. "Dammit!"

"That's what I thought." She seemed smug. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, when she was interrupted by the buzzing of a phone. My phone.

She picked it up. "It's me. Seth must have taken my phone. Here." She handed it to me.

I opened it hesitantly, not taking my eyes off Leah. "Hello?"

"Kevin," it was Jacob.

"Jake, what do you want?" I asked.

"To talk to Leah. Sue has some news."

"I'm here." Leah announced, surely using her sensitive hearing.

"She doesn't want you at Kevin's house too much more…"

"I know that tone, Jacob. What is it?" Leah snarled.

"She doesn't want you at Kevin's house." Jacob seemed repentant. "_Ever." _Or not…

Anger flared inside me. The look on Leah's face said the same. "What?" we growled in sync, using a lot of effort to make our voices quiet.

"Well…" Jacob was about to begin a long story. I set the phone between Leah and myself so my hands could clutch the sides of my beds. I heard fabric tearing. At least it was the fabric that was paying instead of my shoulder as I phased into a wolf.

"She doesn't believe you've imprinted." Jacob continued. His voice was tight. "You were quite angry – even more so – in the weeks leading up to your imprinting. She thinks that you were desperate and in an almost demented state of mind; henceforth, you must have imagined your imprinting. I mean… come on, girls don't become werewolves, let alone imprint!" I could hear by the sarcasm blade in his voice that he was repeating exact words. I could almost see him making little quotations signs with his fingers in the air.

"What about me?" I snarled.

"That's another thing…" Jake hesitated. "Leah?"

"Kevin, I didn't quite tell my mom that you're a werewolf. I just said we meet at night because… that's the only time you get out." Leah glanced away from me.

I wasn't angry at this, but it may have helped explain to her mother why she was sure she'd imprinted – because I had as well. But, the emotions that must have registered past my composure must have seemed so. Leah's face dropped. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"It's okay. You need to tell her-"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Jacob was silent on the other side of the line, probably as still as a vampire.

"Well…"

"She just can't for Pack purposes. For Charlie's sake, for Sue's sake, it's best that they don't know." Jacob's voice was as hard as flint.

"Okay… so what does Sue want Leah to do?" I continued back on subject, a grimace carved onto my face.

"Sue wants Leah not to see you at all. She wants Leah to get past this 'phase' of 'denial' and face reality. Sue had always been a… realistic person. Even when it comes to the supernatural, she has her beliefs and she'll stick to them. She doesn't want Leah at your house or elsewise."

"I'll tear her head off!" I shouted, ignoring the fact that my parents were only in the other room. In a jerk of movement, I stood to phase only to fall half-way up with a cry of pain.

"Shhh!" Leah stated, watching me. "We'll work this out-" she didn't have a chance to continue. Footsteps made their way down the hall. I could scent my mom. Great.

"The phone!" I gasped. I slapped it shut and threw it under the covers of my bed without another word from Jacob.

Leah stood by the door, waiting as the footsteps stopped and the knob started turning. She placed her hand on it, opening to meet my mom. "Oh, hello Mrs. Clark. I was just coming out to tell you that Kevin is awake."

"I see…" Mom pursed her lips as she glanced past Leah at me – lying in my bed with the covers half up as I was frozen by the pain. I tried to smile at her, but the best I could get was to not grimace.

"He was wondering what's for dinner." Leah continued as if it were all true, her voice not breaking for a second.

"Chicken." Mom replied instantly. "We're just grilling some chicken." Her gaze flickered to Leah, obviously looking for any sign of a lie. Apparently, she found none. "I'm going to go continue working on it. You two come out soon for dinner."

"We will."

"Yeah… I'll be there." I gasped slightly, hoping Mom hadn't noticed.

Maybe she had, but she didn't show it. She left the room without another word.

"Come on, Kevin. Let's eat and hopefully you'll be better by morning." Leah's voice had dropped drastically. "Jake's going to be pissed that we hung up on him. Sue's going to be a pain in the ass. Seth's going to have to tell-her-so that I know who I imprinted on and I know it damn well. But now, let's just go and eat some chicken."

I chuckled. It seemed quite vulnerable in the context of pains in the asses and annoying brothers, but chicken did sound good. "I'm coming." I sat up, ignoring the throbbing as blood rushed through my arm.

Leah was at my side. She grasped my good arm. "Let me help," she offered.

"Perhaps…" it was a struggle not to accept the invitation immediately. I stood, grunting as my arm swung limply. "This is going to be difficult."

"You're already half healed," she responded.

"I'd hate to find out what it felt like before." I tried to joke lightly.

"Here, Carlisle left this for you." Leah grabbed a single crutch and placed it under my good arm, stepping away so I could operate with it.

"My arm's broken, not my foot." I grumbled.

"All the same, he said that your coordination would be messed up due to lack of fore-arm control and that you should use the crutch to help you not fall and rebreak your healing bones." She spoke matter-of-factly, obviously quoting directly from Carlisle.

"Of course, as you wish, Dr. Clearwater." I mocked as I stumbled toward the door. It turned out that the crutch actually did help a lot.

Her eyes glowed momentarily as she watched me; not moving from the position in which she stood next to my bed – arms crossed and a thin smile across her face. "And the indestructible wolf falls prey to the meek vampire." She shook her head, starting to laugh.

"Was I the only one injured?" I asked, hoping with a shiver that I hadn't appeared weak in my drastic decline in health.

"Yes, thank God. I tore that damned stone off you. Brady made quick work of it." She bared her teeth at the memory. "I was busy trying to keep you alive. It was horrible – watching your hardly visible breath become shallower and shallower until you scarcely had any." Her voice trembled.

"Remember," I coaxed her gently as I stumbled to where she was standing, "that I was saving you." Trying to lighten the mood, I hinted in a light – if anything – joke. "You're welcome."

She seemed taken aback as she realized that I had only been saving her. She'd probably overlooked that fact after so many hours. Leaning against me, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to my cheek very gently. "Thank you." Her voice was gravely sincere.

"If you'll kiss me, I need to nearly kill myself more often."

"If you nearly kill yourself more often, I'm going to kill you myself." That was definitely a joke. We couldn't live without each other. This comment earned her a smile from me.

"Come, Leah, let's go eat dinner."

"Good idea. I haven't eaten since the attack and I'm _still _tasting dead leech." She grimaced, reminding me of the own sour taste in my mouth. I clicked my tongue as I tried to ignore the sudden bitter that I hadn't noticed before.

"Kevin, Leah, dinner!" my mom called from the other room.

"Almost there!" I responded bluntly as I literally crashed down the hallway. "Mom, can I have a glass of water? I'm parched." I sat at the hardly-used table with a huff of relief. My mouth tasted worse than hell sounded.

She didn't respond; instead handed me a glass of milk. "That'll work." I started chugging it, letting the flavor dull the aching agony. It was gone in a few flat seconds. Leah watched me in amusement. "And can Leah have a cup, too? I bet she's starved." Or in extreme discomfort.

"Sure, Kevin, but after you're healed we won't be waiting on your hand and foot," Mom warned light-heartedly.

"When should that be?" How long should I pretend to be hurt? Leah drank the milk almost as fast as me.

"Dr. Cullen said it would only take a couple of days before you are back in full health. It must have been quite a fall – keeping you unconscious this long."

"Yes… we're lucky you didn't break any bones." Dad cocked his brow as he gave me a meaningful scowl. Why did he always need to know _everything?_

Standing, I stumbled toward where Dad was grilling the chicken. "Sometimes, secrets are best worth kept that way." I growled/coughed. "These look good, are they ready?" I raised my voice.

He cast me a silent glare. "Yes. Take whichever you prefer." He grumbled and turned away from me.

Taking the biggest piece of chicken, I settled back down at the table. Leah did the same with the second biggest – her eyes obviously eager to get rid of the vile taste once and for all. I held it on my fork and bit into the whole chicken, easily tearing it with my sharp teeth. They could bust a vampire – chicken was like cutting butter.

"Manners," Mom scolded me gently. I grimaced as my hand fumbled with the blade. It wasn't nearly as efficient. Leah cast me an empathetic glance as she did the same. "See, Leah can cut with a knife, why can't you? It ought to be easier than bighting and tearing the chicken apart."

"It ought to," I muttered the single response. Honestly, I felt like stabbing someone with the knife that wasn't the chicken. "But perhaps it would just be simpler… with my arm and all… to use my teeth. With my… hand at a point where it's hard to control, I can cut far more powerfully by biting." I lifted my brow and smiled a hint.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Eat." She ordered.

Dinner was long, considering it took eons to cut the meat with one hand. But, by the end, when I stood up to grab my crutch on the other side of the room, I could hardly feel any pain. I walked to it with nearly no problem with my coordination. My left arm swung limply. If Leah hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have realized that I was still supposed to be in pain.

"Kevin, you appear to be feeling better." Her voice had an edge to it.

"Um… yeah. I think it's because I've been moving." Making a mental note, I added a slightly bigger limp to my step. The crutch was now more of a nuisance. "I'll be in my room."

Leah had stood from her chair – about to follow me out of what had formed into a habit – when my dad spoke. "We've called your parents, Leah. We're interested to meet your mother and Charlie. They're coming down to see how Kevin's faring."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "What?"

"Leah's parents are coming over any time now."

Holding back a slight panic, I nodded. "Okay." I didn't say anymore, worried my voice might have a high edge to it. Leah was frozen in place, staring toward the living room where my parents sat. "Come on, Leah, we'd better get you ready to see Sue…" I growled under my breath as I took her hand, ditching the crutch.

We entered my room silently. Only then did I turn to glance at Leah. "It's going to be okay," I assured her.

"No. It's not." Leah sighed, falling onto my bed carefully. "I may as well just throw myself into a coven of newborn vampires now."

"As if I would let you do that. No, if you were so determined, I'd point you in the direction of the ocean and follow you. Less painful death."

"But slower," she argued. "The vampires would be faster."

"More painful."

"Tidy."

"Cruel."

"Just a crunch of the spine."

Opening my mouth to reply, I stopped. What were we arguing about? Ways to kill ourselves? This was absurd! "Look, we're not going in the ocean – or throwing ourselves into armies of senseless vampires. We're going to ditch my mom and Charlie and tell Sue and my dad what's what."

"Kevin,"

"Leah." I sat next to her, wrapping my left arm slowly around her as I didn't want to make any sudden movements with it yet. "It'll be alright. Something will work out." I promised as I set my mouth against her hair.

"But… if it doesn't…" she glanced up at me.

A horrible feeling of dread coursed through me. It was one of those moments that you thought of all the things that had gone wrong in movies – deaths, for one example – and thought they would never happen to you, but you realized that they quite possibly could. With a simple misspoken word I could be banned from ever seeing Leah again.

In response to her unspoken question, I hugged her close to me. "If it doesn't, I'll at least have my memories." No matter if they were worthwhile…

"It's too bad there aren't any memories that are worth keeping," I think I knew where she was coming from – where she was going.

"Every memory with you is worth a million dollars," I pulled away so I could see her face. "If not more."

Her eyes softened.

And for the second time, I leaned forward to press my lips to hers.

This time was so much different than the first. Longer. Better.

A few minutes we sat there, not separating as we knew what was to come soon. This was a memory so bittersweet I was sure I wouldn't forget a single detail. The bros were going to kill me when they read all this, as if I give a damn! Ha, let them suffer in not-so-quiet silence.

"Kevin, Leah, Sue and Charlie are here!"

The sound of my mom's voice broke us apart immediately. "Coming," my voice was a little high, panicky at the sudden change of mood from romantic to dreadful.

Only now did I look at Leah – the first time since before the kisses. I should've know, she felt the exact same way. "Well… um… let's go." She patted my shoulder.

I stood, somewhat dizzy. I could blame that on my uncoordnatedness due to my shoulder. Grabbing the crutch, I slowly made my way out the door.

Down the hall, I would meet Leah's parents.

I'd meet Charlie, the father of Bella.

I'd meet Sue, the mother of my true love.

And I'd meet a destiny that I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

**Duhn dah duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… XD And that's all I have to say! Until next Chapter…**


	12. Chapter 11

**Yes, I know awesomer isn't a word… but I like it in this case. :P Anyway… I do apologize for my grammatical and spelling errors along the away… I forgot to mention I completely SUCK at stuff like that! Anyway, this is another one of those 'what was I thinking?' chapters. Actually a lot from this point out are… but just go with it. I needed it to work out for the ending and I only have so much time during S.S. to plan it all through. **

Part 11 – Kevin's POV

Sue looked nearly as tall as Leah – making them almost twins. Leah was prettier, of course. Younger. Awesomer. More spectacular. Well… Leah was mine. That was probably the biggest difference.

Before I could speak, she spoke. "Hello, you must be Kevin." Her voice almost sounded fake, but that was probably just me being overly suspicious.

"Yes, and you must be Ms. Clearwater. Nice to meet you." I took the crutch in my left hand, freeing my right to shake her hand. "And Chief Swan." Ew. He even smelled like leech. Must have been over seeing Bella and Nessie before bringing Sue here.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Kevin." She replied curtly. "So… you and Leah?"

"Umm… yup." Great. It wasn't just me… she _was _overly suspicious. I gulped, aware of Leah at my side.

"How's your arm?" Charlie spoke for the first time, motioning.

"It's healing quickly. I think Leah helps," I added. Perhaps it sounded weird to the humans, but I only was concerned that Sue got the message.

Correct. Sue bit her lip. "Leah talks about you all the time…"

"She does?" I chuckled, glancing at Leah. "I'm afraid there isn't that much about me to say…" at least if you were to cut off all the werewolf stories.

"Yes. Like that one time she broke her ribs… or whatever happened." Because 'broken ribs can't heal in a day.' "She said you were very generous and she had to force you to go to school… without her." I flinched. She almost hesitated too long.

"It was a very rough day at school." I grumbled. The day Sam left and we first learned Cohl was going to phase. A rough day indeed! "I hear that Leah's all settled into Bella's old room. I should come over sometime, I'm eager to see it." Leah stiffened, as did my parents – but they were more worried about me inviting myself. To Leah, I was obviously trying to establish my own boundaries. Leah was _mine._ The sooner Sue got that through her head, the better.

Charlie sighed – obviously not too thrilled to have another teenage girl in the house so soon after Bella got married and ditched him. But I was way better than that…. Edward.

But now that I thought about it, Edward was smart. He'd done one thing I'd never had the idea to do, mostly because Leah lived with nocturnal creatures. Maybe Edward did have a point. Maybe Edward had just given me the greatest idea of all time.

If Edward could get away with sneaking into Bella's room every night for two years, why couldn't I do the same?

"So can we get you anything? We have chicken and milk or water…" my mom broke the awkward silence.

"No, thank you. It's been a long night… we're actually hoping to get home soon." If only their sensitive human ears could hear how much she was lying!

"So soon?" I gulped. No, I didn't want Leah to leave.

"Yes… Leah has school tomorrow."

"What day is it?"

"Sunday."

"Oh…" I'd been lost in time.

"Yes."

"Well, then," I glanced at Leah in a meaningful way that only she would catch. "I guess I'll see you… when?"

"I don't know," she tried to seem calm. "Around…. School?"

"Oh. Anytime else?" I felt wasted. I'd been worried about what I would say to convince her parents, but now I didn't even get the chance.

"Sorry. I… I don't know." She sighed, glancing at Sue.

"We'll talk over our schedule at home," Sue growled.

"Okay, then." I said. Half-instinctively, I pulled Leah against me with my good arm wrapped around her hip. I cast a quick glare at Sue. Sucky Sue. Hm.

"Bye," Leah said quietly.

"Bye," I kissed her one last time, earning a quick, embarrassed but joking glare from Leah, an angry scowl from Sue, and just a few blank expressions from my parents and Charlie.

With the Clearwater's/Swan gone, it left me alone with my parents. Yay. Full access to The Talk. No! I didn't want The Talk! I'm sure I already knew everything there was to know thanks to certain fan fictions online… and the telepathic minds of those 20 year old boys in my pack.

"Kevin," my mom said after an awkward silence, not that her voice was any less disturbed. No, no, no, no!

"Mom," I gulped.

"So… your dad and I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Ah! Dah! No! I know I know I know!" I said all the words very fast. Seriously, compared to what I've seen, this conversation looked like a walk in the park. I mean… I've seen the hard and rough and… okay. I'm starting to sound like a pervert. I'm going to stop myself there.

"Are you sure you know?" my dad asked. He could hardly contain his smirk, bastard! When I get him out alone in the woods I'm going to go all wolf on him! Dammit! Calm. Calm. Calm.

"I'm one hundred fifty thousand percent sure that I know how… _it_ all works. You… yah." Stop it, Kevin. No need to go into specific detail and freak your parents out.

Oblivious to what I had been about to say, my parents watched me for a moment. "Fine," my mom finally said. "But if you ever have any questions-"

_Then I'll ask my bros. _"I'll come to you," I lied.

This made them happy. "Okay. Go ahead and do whatever you want, then."

I made my way to my room and lay on my bed, staring out the window. There were things I had to take care of. Tomorrow I would have to reorganize the pack; God knows what Brady could've done in two days! Ha, no. Brady's better than that. Whatever. I should sleep now.

But sleep evaded me. I couldn't stop thinking about Leah. I wasn't able to go over three days without her and that was before we met. Now… the not knowing was going to kill me. Maybe I would be depressed enough that my mom would tell Sue and Sue would finally understand? Pain is a lot to hope onto yourself but in cases such as this it seemed worthwhile.

Yet as my arm healed more thoroughly with every beat of my heart, I couldn't help but wonder if I would make it without her long enough to consult Sue. Already I could feel my care to move and eat and live fading away. Soon the pain would come, then the numb. And finally… I don't know. Maybe something much, much worse. I had never reached that stage and never wished to.

9:00. 10:00. 11:00. I couldn't sleep. 12:00. 1:00. 2:00. Blinking made me anxious. 3:00. 3:30.

I couldn't take it. I jumped to my feet and threw the window open, slamming it shut and sprinting toward the forest. That wasn't going to work. I had to get out of here and to Charlie's house.

But where was Charlie's house? Dammit! How the hell was I supposed to go to Charlie's house if I had no idea where it was? I ran as a wolf – my shoulder barely a nuisance. Perhaps I could ask Jacob. Or any of the Cullen's. Bella? Edward? The two of them knew the house better than anyone else.

Phasing quickly, I ran into the Cullen's house. They were sitting at random and looked up at me, not surprised. They probably heard me. "Hello, Kevin." Carlisle greeted. "I'm afraid Leah's not here."

"Can I speak to Jacob?"

"Jake and Nessie are both sleeping, but I think I can help you." Edward's cool, ghostly voice sounded from behind me. I zipped around to see him watching me as he leaned against the wall in a picture of ease. Stupid mind-reader!

_So you can take me there? Right now?_

"Of course."

_Let's go._

"Okay. Esme, Carlisle, I'm taking Kevin somewhere. I'll be back shortly."

"Don't rush, Edward." Wow. I wish my parents were that awesome. Edward laughed at that thought. Hmph. Well, I should be used to it. People were always in my mind anyway.

"You should stay phased," Edward warned me as we started running. "It's through town a lot. A human sprinting will be a lot less noticeable than a wolf sprinting. Can you keep up?"

"Hell yeah," I growled. "It's what I'm built for. Catching you hotshots."

"Then come," and he was already gone.

Running as fast as I possibly could, I followed him. He was always there – right in front of me. I had heard he was the fastest of them all, they weren't kidding. I swear he was slowing down for me and this was how fast a regular vampire could run.

After about three minutes, he stopped in front of a house. "Climb up that tree and into that window. It had a lock… but I took the liberty to break it off." He smirked. "My apologies, I'm something of a stalker, as people like to say it. Unless they've replaced it, you should make it through without a problem."

"Thank you, Edward." I smiled. "You know, Jake, Leah, and Seth are right about you guys. You aren't bad."

"Most of the time. I understand what you're going through. I was you once… too. Now, go." And he was gone.

I was alone. Good. Now… climb the tree, he said? Jump through the window, he said? Whatever he said.

With a running start, I ran up to the tree and thrusted myself as high as I could jump. I made it up so I was hanging to the limbs at the second level of the house. Well, maybe we werewolves are stronger than I'd ever realized. Note to self: Take it easy in gym class. The teachers had been eyeing me the last few weeks… now I know why.

I scampered out far onto the limb before lunging and landing on the roof right outside the window. Taking my strength, I pushed it open. There was a loud crack. Oops. I think I just broke the lock again.

Leah was asleep. The room was similar to what it had been back at the Cullen's, just bigger and with more boxes and wall space. She snored quietly from where she was splayed out in her bed. I couldn't help a grin. She was so pretty when she was asleep – not scowling at anyone.

Because of this, I didn't have the heart to wake her. She looked so at peace. I sank to my knees, bowing right in front of her bed and watching her with wide, awed eyes. Cautiously, I extended my hand to touch her arm. Warm. Ummm. It felt good after my long run, not that I was cold.

Then she rolled over in her sleep, her other arm swinging so her hand fell on mine. I froze, hoping she wouldn't suddenly wake up and freak. Instead, she mumbled something and appeared to fall deeper asleep.

Eventually, she released her grip on my hand, but not before an hour had passed. It was 5:00 and I was aware why Leah hated this room. It stank like the bloody pits of hell. Vampire vampire vampire yuck!

Freeing myself, I walked over to the strongest smelling corner where Edward must have stood and overlooked Bella. I took my shirt off and rubbed it all over the area, muffling the scent to a point where it was tolerable to my sensitive nose, and hopefully Leah's.

Ew. Now my shirt stank. Whatever – nothing a good wash couldn't fix. Regretfully, I walked over to the bed and gave her a long, last good look. She grunted and rolled over again. I smiled. Now I know why Edward watched Bella sleep. It was very amusing from this angle.

5:15. I opened the window, carefully shutting it. I leapt from the room to the ground and started trotting away. I saved the sprinting until I was away from the house.

Home was a good 20 miles away. Geez, if the gym teachers could see me now! A ten minute sprint! And they say we don't get exercise on our own. Hmph. That's just offending.

Finally after what seemed like forever, I climbed through my window and lay in my bed; shirt on the floor. Couldn't have that in my bed. The clock read 5:30. Maybe I could get a few hours of sleep before school.

Sleep came very fast. The next thing I knew, Mom was waking me up. "Kevin?" she asked.

"Yes?" I replied groggily, my eyes barely so much as flittering to see her. Ugh. If only I'd gone to see Leah sooner… I might have gotten back and had more time to sleep. No… I still would've waited.

"It's time for school. Are you up to it?"

_No._ "Yes," Cohl hadn't officially finished his time at The Island. We'd have to teach him between classes. Besides, I should stop by the store and get a gift for Leah in case she was mad at me and waited when I went to see her again tonight.

School passed quickly. We explained pack relationships carefully to Cohl. I stopped at Walmart before coming home and bought two items. A stuffed tan wolf with patches of brown and a stuffed silver wolf. I got home and rubbed the store-scent off, wrapping them in a gift-bag and setting them aside.

4:00. A good six hours at least before I could sneak out. With that thought, I lay in my bed and fell asleep. Mom woke me at 6:00 for dinner, but I was back by 6:30 with an alarm set to wake me at 10:00.

The ringing of my phone woke me with a start. I shut it off as to not alarm my parents and went to grab a shirt to wear over to Leah's house in case I got more time to scrub off that horrible scent. As I neared the dresser, something caught my nose. An off scent.

I opened my shirt drawer to find a small piece of paper sticking out. It read:

Thank You

~Leah

I smiled and grabbed the gift bag. Without further ado, I took off in a sprint to Charlie's house.

Shoving the window open, I panted and stepped inside. She was asleep, just as last time. I set the gift bag down on her desk along with the stories she had written and I had read. Taking a piece of paper and a pen I saw lying around, I wrote:

You're welcome

~Kevin

Now I could watch her sleep. Ha – that made me sound like a creeper. I sat down on the side of the bed, hand stroking her hair that lay limply to the side of her head. She rolled in my direction, as if we were two magnets drawn together. "Kevin," she mumbled.

"Leah," I whispered with a silly, stupid grin on my face. She was dreaming about me. She was thinking about me. Well, I usually dreamed about her anyway. I guess it goes two ways.

A loud thump resounded outside the window; my head shot up and glared out, only to realize it was Jacob. Oh great, what was Jacob doing at my girlfriend's house while she was asleep? I bared my teeth lightly.

"Hey, Kevin," he huffed as he walked inside. It must have started raining since I got here. His hair was dripping wet. He was shirtless.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to see you. Edward said I could probably find you here."

"Why do you want to see me?" I made an effort to keep my voice low.

"Because… there's something I need to tell you. No one else – but both of the packs that read my mind – know this. Before his death, I made Harry a promise. He knew that Seth would phase. He had a heart attack when Leah phased, hence he couldn't really tell me personally what he wished for her, but I can still guess it's the same."

"What did you promise Harry?" my eyes were back on Leah. It must have been horrible, losing her dad.

"I promised him that I would find the imprintee's of his children and have a good talk to them, just as he would have." Jacob's faint smirk flashed in the dark.

I couldn't help a faint grin. "So you're here to have 'The Talk' with me?"

"Basically. While I think this is different than what Harry or any of us were anticipating, I still feel obligated to uphold my promise. But since I already know that you will love her forever and ever and crap like that, I'll give you the non-awkward not too over-protective version. 'Kay?"

"Okay." I lay down on the bed, getting comfortable. I wasn't sure how long this would take. I wrapped my arm on the pillow above Leah's head as not to wake her. "Shoot."

Jacob cleared his throat and attempted to make his voice lower and more serious. "Son, I wanted to tell you that my daughter is a very special – if not crazy – person with a sharp-tongue and a fast lope. She can seem tough and hard at times, but on the inside, she is always trying to please you… unless you're a wolf in which she will be more than happy to torcher you. Bear with her and she will be all you've ever wanted…" his voice was becoming regular with every word. I had the feeling this wasn't just Harry talking now; it was Jacob. It was Jacob warning me to be everything I could for Leah.

"Leah is an amazing person to know and once you get to her she will do her best not to be the annoying… person…" I don't know what he was about to say but I don't think it was anything good. "She will do her best not to be the annoying person that will drive you crazy for the rest of your life. She has served as a very important person to our pack, one of the most important for that matter. The beta. You treasure her as you claim you always will and I give you my blessing." He finished, eyes on Leah as well.

"Thank you, Jake." I smiled.

"No, Kevin, we thank you – my pack. You have finally tamed the lion; made her see her own true colors. I don't know what we would've done without you." Jacob stood, seeming about to leave.

"Wait," I ordered, standing up as well.

"What?"

I took off my shirt. "Help me out, this place still reeks." In a quick jerk, I ripped the article of clothing in half. It's okay, I wore that shirt because I wanted to get rid of it. Once it smells like vampire it's hard to forget. I tossed half the shirt to him.

"I guess I have a few…" he started rubbing down the corner that I had worked on yesterday. I focused more around the bed. It must be hard to sleep with that vile, repulsive smell in the room. Next time, I'd bring her an air freshener.

"That should do it," Jacob stepped back to look at both our work. The stench was hardly visible now. Still, it was there.

"In a few days we'll have it all gone." I said.

"We?" Jacob asked tentatively.

"I meant I'll."

"Good, because she's hesitant about you staying here. If my scent starts showing up she'll throw a little hissy fit."

"Okay, Jake, thank you again."

"No problem Kevin. See you later." There was a thump. I walked over to the window to find a russet wolf running into the woods.

Wolf. I needed to phase sometime in order to keep my wolf on. Otherwise I might get rusty. We could check and see if Sam's on his way back and see how things have been going. Maybe we should have a midnight meeting tomorrow night.

Scratch that. Tonight. It was already 1:00. I was exhausted. I should head home. I didn't like leaving already, but I needed to sleep so I wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of school.

Reluctantly, I slid out the window. Shutting it quietly, I glanced at the ground far beneath me. Too far. It made me dizzy to look, or maybe that was me being tired. Sometimes if you're too tired, your vision will start blurring.

I jumped down. The ground came fast and I sighed as I thumped to it. My head turned to the woods where Jacob had disappeared. Maybe I could find a way home through the forest. I could phase and have a good run.

I slid out of my pants and leapt, letting the wolf take over with ease. My legs stretched and tail extended from my spine. Before taking off, I stretched and loosened my muscles. Then I took off sprinting. If I could keep up with a vampire while human I could probably outpace Edward as a wolf.

Even with the detour I made it home faster than if I'd been human. I sank into my bed gratefully, closing my eyes and falling asleep almost instantly.

**:P **


	13. Chapter 12

**Awww…. It didn't show the awesome font for the letters… oh well. Anyway, sorry this chapter was a little long coming I got wrapped up in the real world for a while, you all know what I mean. So… enjoy. : )**

Part 12: Kevin's POV

Scampering along the cliffside, I watched pebbles as they fell into the dark, ominous ocean below. My claws clicked against the stable rocks that I paced along. A salty sea breeze buffeted my narrow face, causing my fur to fly in all directions. The horizon showed the pink/orange sun as it drowned behind the far away water. It cast its last rays along the beautiful ocean which reflected it.

Sunset. Almost twilight, the best time of day for the vampires. Finally, I found what I had been searching for. An outcropping of rock that made it so when I perched on it, I stood over the ocean with little other support beneath it. My head reached as far from my body as it could get as I stared at the sun.

Lifting my head to an upward angle, I howled as loud as I possibly could. I needed Brady, Tony, Collin, and Cohl to gather and I was also hoping (with maybe the smallest sliver of hope) to get ahold of Sam.

Click. _Wassup?_

_ Nothing, Cohl. _I exhaled. _It's nice to see that you are having no problems phasing._

_ It gets easier. _He sighed. _Kevin?_

_ Yes?_

_ Do you think Sam or anybody will ever come back?_

_ Yeah, sure. Why not?_

_ It's just it seems really suspicious. They've been gone a good three weeks now, right?_

_ Yes._

_ It's almost as if they abandoned you._

_ Shut up, Cohl. _I snarled. _They're coming back. Emily and Claire are here and Rachel is coming for a visit in couple weeks for Christmas. _Christmas. When did time pass so quickly? _You'd have to put a bullet down Paul's throat to keep him from seeing Rachel, considering she comes by every year or so._

_ But if it is physically painful to stay away from your imprintee, how can they stand being away now?_

_ I don't know. I can hardly stand being away from Leah now. _I shuddered. _But I have a theory. Since Leah also imprinted on me, perhaps that means our bond is stronger than some._

_ If you insist._

_ Sam's wedding is the third week of January. He'll have to be there – duh. _

_ Okay, you made your point._

Click. _What point? _Tony asked.

_Will you not ask and just read? _I was very irritated. We had a huge project in school due tomorrow and I didn't know where to start. We had to write a report on the most important event in our life. That was a no-brainer, but I can't really explain how I'm a werewolf. Now if we were writing fictional stories, I'd be a pro.

_Oh. Sorry, Kevin. _Tony glared mentally at Cohl who I could hear approaching my location. _Of course they're coming back! Sam would never ditch us like this!_

Click. _Agreed._

_ Brady, _I sighed. _Nice to have some common sense. What are you writing for the project?_

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. _That's easy! The battle of Nessie. I was all like – Whooocha! And Bam! And, Take that Vamp!_

Cohl jumped the ridge and stood next to me. He only reached about to my shoulder but was growing fast. His eyes had more of a silver hue now in the light. He panted eagerly and trotted in place, excited. _Hey, dumbo, how are you supposed to write about that? _He asked, interrupting Brady from his play-by-play of the battle I hadn't seen.

_I was going to do some editing so it was maybe like a disagreement with my sibling instead of a fight to the death against the Volturi._

_ You lost me._

_ Cohl, the Volturi is vampire royalty. _Tony explained, giving Cohl a full mind-description of encounters with the masked demons.

_They're a bunch of Blood-Sucking Bimbo's if you ask me. _I snorted. _All they do is creep around in freaky capes and kill vampires. If they're so concerned about the safety of the secret, they should just let us take care of it! It's what we're meant for._

_ Oh. They came for Renesmee? Why?_

_ Do you read anything? _Brady sighed as he jumped down to my side, still arguing. _They thought she was an immortal child._

_ An immortal child is a vampire kid. They're uncontrollable and illegal. _I said before he could ask.

_Oh. Well… I guess I'm glad it all worked out._

_ Yes, you are. _I smirked at the dark blue wolf, amused by how he was so involved in the telepathic world that he was dazing in the real world. His eyes were far away and he was inching toward the edge of the cliff.

Click. _Sorry I'm late! _Collin had finally tuned in just as Tony found our gathering spot.

_It's okay, but we're waiting on you, _I warned him.

_Don't. I'm listening. What's going on?_

_ Okay,_ I took a breath. _Sam has been gone a long time, as we all know. _

_ Yes._

_ Yes._

_ Yes._

_ Yes._

_ We need to be prepared for his return. And if he doesn't come back by New Year's, we need to find him._

_ How? Why? _Tony asked.

_In preparation for their return, we will… I have no idea._ Maybe I should have thought my arguments through better before howling. _If he doesn't come back, I'm going to Charlie's house, sticking a huge load of werewolf information down Sue's throat and requesting that the Black Pack join me. I would leave you behind with Brady in charge and we'd keep in contact because I'm not going human with Leah anywhere near possible danger._

_ You know, she'd bite you in half if she heard you right now, _Brady told me.

_I know, but she doesn't and I don't give a damn if she tears me to shreds and burns me. As long as she's happy I'm cool with it._

Tony exchanged a look with Brady and Cohl. Their minds were blank, but I could tell that look meant something. _What? _I asked.

_You're getting worse,_ Collin explained as he joined us.

_When you met Leah, you were pretty protective, _Brady began.

_Then at your first battle, you nearly tore Seth and Jacob apart when they wouldn't let you see Leah._ Tony piped up.

_And now… how do we explain it? _Cohl struggled with his thoughts. _You've gotten… worse. You're protectiveness for Leah has become much more overwhelming than it used to be. I can tell that and I'm just getting bits and pieces of it all._

_ Really? _I asked, defiant. _Well… Tony knows how I feel. He imprinted. I'm sure he would let her tear him to shreds if it made her happy as well._

_ I guess… _he was doubtful. _I mean… I wouldn't enjoy it like you're saying you would… but I guess I wouldn't fight it._

What was up with these guys? I couldn't possibly be more protective of Leah now than I was the first day I saw her, or when that idiotic mosquito almost strangled me to death. Could I? Well I know we'd always been a little more than friends but we had been becoming more boyfriend girlfriend material stuff like that now that we had known each other longer, but that didn't mean I was more protective of her.

_You should go, Kevin, before you demented state of mind gets to all of us._

_ What are you talking about, Cohl? _I growled.

_He's talking about the fact that you can't stop thinking about Leah. _Brady rolled his eyes. _Go to her before you drive us crazy thinking about her._

_ Fine, then. I will. _Defiantly,trotting in the direction of Charlie's house. I waited to sprint until my mind was alone. If they wanted to talk, they could do it while I wasn't around to listen. I didn't want to listen.

Eventually, my full-blown wolf sprint got me to Charlie's house. I took the woods route which served well even though I accidently knocked down a tree. My mind was elsewhere causing me to be reckless. I phased just 100 feet from the tree line and danced into my pants, a light drizzle from invisible clouds. The water dripped off my skin. Dammit, I didn't want to get Leah's room all wet.

Jumping to the tree, I ran onto the roof. It got easier every time. The window was open a smudge, welcoming me in. I leaped through to find she had placed a towel on the ground for me to stand on – another one to dry myself with. Thank you Leah! It was nice to know she approved of my stalking her.

Once I dried myself reasonably, I turned to the desk. The stuffed wolves were sitting alone, side-by-side.

This probably sounded funny contexted over two stuffed animals, but they were so much more than just animals. They were us – our symbols. Proof that-

"Kevin?"

I turned to find Leah sitting up. She must have been half-asleep when I walked in.

"Hey, sorry," I apologized as I walked over to kneel beside her bed.

Instead of the fury or maybe smudge of approval I had been expecting from her, she lunged forward and wrapped me in a huge, tight bear hug. "Kevin!" she gasped. "I was so pissed when I fell asleep last night! I'm sorry. I missed you."

Confused, I hugged her back. I know that we werewolves are all frozen in time, but is it possible that she still goes through her monthly emotional rides? Minus all the physical symptoms? Because right now she seemed very touchy.

Pushing my nose into her shoulder, I inhaled her scent. "I missed you, too," I finally replied, holding her tighter. "From now on, I'll be over here by 11:00 latest."

She pulled herself out of bed so she was kneeling beside me. "When did you get the idea to come over?" she asked.

"Long story short… I couldn't sleep after you left and I was thinking of how Edward ran off every night to see Bella so I thought… 'hey, it's the same bedroom. Why the hell can't I do that too?' and here I am."

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Last night, though, Jake said,"

"Jake Shmake. He can go die in a hole for all I care. He was speaking for me, but I believe I can do that for myself."

"That's my girl," I laughed and pulled her into another hug. This was the most open we'd ever been physically. I kind of liked it… it felt simple and effective.

Her smile pleased me. I could feel it against my head. "Aren't you tired after staying here, thought? You can only be getting a few hours of sleep." She backed away, concern etched on her face.

I shrugged. "Exhaustion is way better than the pain I feel if I go more than a day without seeing you."

Still, this didn't seem to calm her. "Come on, into bed with you. You need your sleep and I've been over here hogging it." She pulled me into bed by our hands. Wow, she was stronger than I remember.

"Now, sleep." She ordered, pushing me down. The real question was if I couldn't sleep. The bed was comfortable. It smelt strongly of Leah – a scent so heavenly that I almost felt like I was sleeping on clouds just by the aroma alone. Her hand wrapped around me. I smirked. Yes, this was heaven. I just wonder how I could've possibly died without realizing.

The ringing of an alarm woke me. Groggily, I reached for my night stand to find it wasn't there. I blinked. Where was I? Oh, yeah, Leah's place. What time was it? Where was Leah's clock?

Leah stirred as well. "Ugh, morning," she sighed.

"Morning."

"What – Kevin? What are you still doing here?" she asked me.

"I don't know, I just woke up a second ago," I blinked again, clearing my head.

"You've got to go."

"Huh?" the thoughts were all going to my mind very slowly.

"Because-" she broke off as footsteps clapped down the hall. "Get down!" she hissed.

Stumbling silently out of the bed, I attempted to make it to the window. Nope – wouldn't close it in time. Instead, I slid under the bed and held my breath.

The door opened. "Leah?" Sue. Grrr.

"Mom?" Leah had lain down again, pretending to just wake up.

"Leah, I just heard a voice coming from in here," Sue said.

"Sorry, that must have been my clock radio. I accidently hit the wrong button."

"Oh, okay." She was too easy to believe people, not that that was a bad thing at this point. She stepped and sat on the bed, increasing the pressure above me. It made me nervous. "So, I wanted to talk to you about this Kevin guy again…"

I felt Leah tense. "What?" she snarled.

"Well, since he hasn't called you or anything in the last couple days, I wanted to check that you were okay."

"I'm fine, Mom." Leah's voice was strained. "In fact, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Kevin… isn't human."

A moment of silence. "Wait, what?"

"Kevin isn't human." Leah repeated. "He's a wolf as well."

"But… but why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because I was worried what you would think." Her voice grew high as she mimicked her mother in a non-offensive way. "'There's no such thing as a werewolf imprinting on another werewolf.' 'It's unnatural.' 'It can't happen get over that loser.'"

"Are you sure he's a werewolf?" Sue asked, voice dripping skeptically.

"No, Mom, whenever he leaps and becomes a large, tan wolf, that's just my imagination getting the best of me."

I could almost see Sue biting her lip. "Well… I'm going to regret this," she sighed under her breath, "but can I see him phase?" she was probably thinking Leah was lying to get her approval.

"Sure. I'm sure if he had any complaints he would have spoken up and set some ground rules by now. Besides, I've seen into his mind." I'm sure she was smirking. "He will do anything to win your sanction."

"Oh, really?" Like mother like daughter. What I mean when I say that is she had the exact same tone that Leah used when she spoke matter-of-factly.

"He practically had a heart attack worrying what to say to you the other day. But… you didn't even give him a chance."

Sue grunted. I was thankful that she left out the part where she 'calmed me down.' "Fine. Invite him over sometime soon. We aren't busy all week." She left the room.

"Hear that, K?" Leah whispered. "You can come over."

"Legally?" I sighed with relief as I pulled myself out of the small, cramped space. "That will be nice."

"Yes, it will." She leaned to me and wrapped her arms around my chest, giving me a light hug. Yes, she was being very strange today. Maybe it would be better to ask her about it instead of worry…

"Leah, you seem… different today," I stated my thoughts slowly.

"Yeah?"

"More… kind. Are you feeling okay?"

She huffed a breath of laughter before speaking again. "Yes, Kevin. I'm feeling fine. It's just… I wonder how long this is going to go on."

"How long what will go on?" she had to clarify. So much was going on right now it made my head spin to try to assess it all at once. Sam in South America with the rest of the pack… Sue perhaps finally accepting me… me being in charge of the little pack (keeping peace with the Black Pack and what not) … etc.

"This…" she motioned to the small area between the two of us. "How much longer can we wait for Sam? Can you lead the pack? Something fishy is going on… Sam would never leave Emily for so long." Her voice didn't have a single atom of bitter in it. "It's just not his style. How much longer can we live like this?" now her eyes were looking directly into mine. I didn't dare break the gaze. "How is this supposed to work? How can two mates live in separate packs?"

Mates. The word sent a chill up my spine. "So basically, you're worried about everything and anything there is to worry about so you're being extra nice today?"

"We can't see the future… and Alice can't see it for us, so I've decided to treasure every minute." Her embrace tightened. I could almost feel the fear at the edge of her conscious. With that thought in mind, I clasped her close to me. Next time, I would know better. I wouldn't ask her why she was being nice.

"The future is going to be great," I assured her. "I will always be with you, even if that means we have to run away from all this chaos and live on our own terms – our own little pack."

Something else was troubling her. I didn't need to ask what this time. There was only one thing that could separate us. Not rivalries or boundaries or even a coven of vampires. What if the unspeakable, the unthinkable, the one thing that no one would even dread to happen happened? What if one of us died?

I'd rather it be me. She could probably continue with her life easily after I was gone. She would say the opposite, but not know just how wrong she was. Without Leah my life would be an empty hole. I'd probably become depressed or go wolf or just not move. Not care. Not live. Even the mere thought sent pain rushing up through me – the only kind of fear that could even penetrate me.

"You've got to go to school," Leah informed me. I hadn't realized the clock. "I don't think your parents would appreciate going into your room and finding nothing but an empty bed and a half-open window."

"You're right," I agreed regretfully. I glanced outside. No one was there to see me jump out the window. Letting Leah go I flew out the window in a single motion, landing on me feet expertly. My gaze flicked back up to Leah. I waved good-bye. She returned the wave as she shut the window.

The run back to La Push was faster than any time before, considering I almost went faster than sprinting. I rocketed faster than Edward. It wouldn't be good if my parents realized I snuck out at night.

I made it home. They hadn't noted my absence. School was slow, long and boring. I talked to Brady, Tony, and Cohl more about their favorite subject – the Sam issue. Every so often they would bring up the fact none of the wolves could leave their imprintee for long and I told them they were on business and to shut up. As the Alpha, they obliged. But that didn't keep them silent for long.

After school, I ambled through the forest. Feeling like stretching my coat, I phased. It felt good to have the cold wind through my fur – but not so cold that it chilled me. This light breeze was fine.

Suddenly, someone clicked on in my mind.

_Hello? Hello?! Anyone there?_

_ Quil? _I sighed in relief. It'd been so long since I'd heard his voice! _Quil, where are you guys? Are you on your way back?_

_ Kevin, read! Read now! We have a serious situation! _The urgency in his voice led me to immediately read deeper. What I then read sent chills up my spine, energy coursed through me. I didn't even realize the rest of the pack phasing, well, all but three.

Sam, Jarod, and Paul.

This is what I read:

It was about a week ago. Sam had been leading the pack through the rough tropical rain forest terrain. Suddenly, the group was ambushed by a large coven of vampires; all of them wearing eerie black cloaks. The battle was brutal, but thankfully, only one person died. One vampire rose above the rest and declared that he was Aro, leader of the Volturi. They took Sam, Paul, and Jarod – the three highest wolves in the pack – captive and stated that on the eve of the New Year, they were going to kill them. Then, apparently, the vampires had disappeared without a trace.

_Why did you take so long to contact us? _I growled angrily. Oops. Quil was far higher ranking than me; I had to learn to not be Alpha anymore.

_We didn't have time or you were never phased! Kevin, what are we going to do?_

Embry joined in. _We can't abandon them – pack law – but we can't go after them without a good, well-formed plan and an elite group of wolves. _

Several others voiced their opinions before I realized they were all talking to me. Why were they talking to me? _Guys, who is taking over as temporary Alpha? Bug him with all this crap. _

Embry mentally cleared his throat. _Actually, Kevin, you're the Alpha._

_ What? _I snapped, stopping dead in my tracks as I randomly wandered the forest. _Why me? I'm the second youngest!_

_ You have connections. You are smart. You were appointed Alpha by Sam and we're going to honor that. _One boy – I don't quite remember who – said. There were about 20 people in our pack, I had trouble sometimes.

_Fine, _I sighed. _Where are you? When will you be back in La Push?_

_ We're passing through Vancouver. We should be home in an hour or two._

_ We'll decide then. I need to go tell my parents that I'll be out tonight. Should we request the Black Pack's presence?_

_ No! _A bitter voice hissed. Another one I didn't remember. _We don't need their help!_

I held back my thoughts successfully. _Until later, then. _I phased to clear my mind, sighing as I did so. Now I had to tell the boys the 'good' new. And Leah. No secrets, not even things that aren't really secrets. I'd tell her eventually, at least.

The door opened harder than I anticipated it to, slamming against the wall with a loud _'crack!'_ "Oops, sorry, Mom," I flinched and tried not to notice the little cracks in the wall that only my sensitive eyes could see.

"It's okay, Kevin, but don't let it happen again."

"Where's Dad?" I looked around. He wasn't in the room.

"He was called in to a meeting," she explained.

"Oh, okay." I gulped. "Look, tonight, I'm going to be busy with a few of my friends. Oops, I mean-" Dammit! Not a good idea to fall into Alpha-mode with your parents. "I mean _can _I hang out with a few friends after school today?"

"Who?"

"Brady, Tony, Collin, and maybe a few others." I shrugged.

"Sure, invite them over."

I could only imagine – a whole freaking pack of werewolves trying to fit in my room. "No! We were planning to meet at… Sam's house. Ya know, Sam Uley? He's a good guy, very talented and stuff…" better Alpha material than me, at least.

"Sam Uley? Hasn't he been missing for a few weeks now?"

"He got back. He was just on a trip."

"Okay," she shrugged. "When do you leave?"

"We have to meet there in less than an hour," I explained in a rush.

"Okay. Be back for bedtime!"

Wouldn't miss it for the world. Without another word, I sprinted outside and into the woods. Phase. I was alone. All the others must have had to go human for a city or something. Good, this was the chance I needed. Lifting my head and pausing in mid-run, I howled for the rest of the pack.

To my surprise, they all phased in pretty quickly. _What do they mean? Kidnapped? Sentenced to death? _Cohl shivered at all this drastic new information. We were in the ceremonial meeting place – with the rock where Sam usually stood.

_ I don't know. What I do know is that we can't ditch them. A bro never leaves another bro hanging, high five or otherwise. _I bared my teeth slightly. I hated that everyone was looking to _me _for the orders.

_Kevin, Sam assigned you Alpha, _Brady reminded me. He was just ecstatic that he got to be Beta of the _whole _pack. _Of course we're going to look to you!_

_ Then I want your opinions,_ I ordered. Brady was my Beta. Tony was my Gamma. Conner was my Delta. Cohl was fifth. They all were honored to have such high-ranking positions in this vast pack, especially new Cohl.

_Once a bro, always a bro. _Cohl agreed with me. _If I were Sam, I would hope you would do the same thing for me. _

_ I agree with both of you, _Brady added. _What've we got to lose?_

I couldn't help a mental picture of Leah as pain stabbed at my chest. No; couldn't think that way.

_I'm not sure about all this, _Tony was honest. _What if we all don't come out alive? What if our entire pack is killed trying to save three members? We have an Alpha. We have our order. What else can we hope for?_

_ You make a fair point, Tony, but I'm not the Alpha. I'm the fill-in. I have no intentions to be Alpha for long and never did. _I shuddered at the thought. It was nice up on the rock, though. I could see the entire clearing clearly. _Now that that's settled what about the Cullen's and Black Pack? The more the merrier, except Leah. Leah could be the stay back at home and kind of make sure everything's under control…_

_ She'd ring your neck if she could hear you, _Brady stated the obvious.

_The Black Pack?_

_ Hell yeah! _Tony agreed instantly, now seeing sense in the rescue mission. _It'd be nice to unify our two packs in this way again._

_ I'm in with the Black's, _Cohl said. _It's all cool._

_ Sure. _Brady nodded. _What've we got to lose?_

_ It's settled, then. _I announced proudly, puffing out my chest. _We're taking the Black Pack to rescue our brother's. We will leave in three days' time, considering we don't want to cut the New Year too short. We'll consult Alice Cullen, she may have seen something. Deal?_

_ Yes, sir._

_ Okay. _I smirked. On the other hand… being Alpha wasn't all _that _bad.

**And…. It goes downhill from here. :P**


	14. Chapter 13

**So… just a lot of Kevin helping out his bros here. I promise it gets more interesting next chapter with a dramatic turn in the next chapter. Have fun reading!**

Part 13

_So, do you now all understand what's going on? What the plan is? _I asked as I gazed outward at the packs of wolves surrounding me. I would guess roughly 30 wolves were listening to me total. Three from the Black Pack, the others from my pack. We were all gathered around the rock – me on top.

_Yes, Kevin._ The majority said.

What we had just gone over was a complex plan of how to rescue Sam, Jarod, and Paul. In three days, we would be in mid-California. Alice had had a vision before the Black Pack had joined us – it was us facing the Volturi in a forest in San Francisco. There a battle would be fought, but I had the odd feeling Jacob was hiding something from us.

Anyhow, it didn't matter. Leah was beside the rock; being the 'mate' of the 'Alpha.' I saw her smile at this thought and I couldn't help one as well. Her emotions were very contagious to me. But now I worried about her safety. She rolled her eyes, but it was more important than she acknowledged it for.

Now was the real issue – telling my parents that I was going away. Why? Um… I don't know. How long? …. I don't know. Will you come back? …. I just didn't know. Maybe I would just give my dad this look and he'd understand. I knew Cohl, Brady, Tony, and Collin would have the same problems. Maybe I'd find a way to help them out.

_Now let's go,_ I voice boomed. _We must bid farewell to our families, _I glanced at Leah. At least I'd have a little family along with me – thinking positively.

The meeting dispersed. I got home in a rush, nearly knocking to door over _again. _"Mom, Dad, I..." I stopped. What was I going to say? I still hadn't decided.

"Yes, Kevin?" Mom asked.

"I'm leaving," I gulped, playing with my fingers.

"What?!" the panic in her voice almost cracked me in two. Could I really do this to her?

"Something has come up. Sam, Jarod, and Paul are in a _situation. _Me, Leah, Jacob, Seth, Tony, Brady, Collin, Cohl," – I realized at this point that we sounded like an army so I stopped – "are taking a few other friends to help them out."

"You can't! What about school? When will you be back? You've already missed enough this year."

"Well… I'm not certain when I'll be back…" like that would help!

I turned to Dad, baring my teeth in the hint of a snarl. He fidgeted. Yeah, that's right. Be very afraid. "I think Kevin knows what he's doing. If he wants to help a friend in need, he should have full rights to go and do so." Dad said quietly. I could tell by his expression that he wanted more of an explanation.

Mom looked about ready to argue. She whispered something into Dad's ear I shouldn't have heard. "You talk some sense into him. I'll be in our room." She turned back to me, face quizzical as she walked off. It wasn't like her to be so tense and serious.

"Come on," I sighed to my dad. I motioned toward the door that steered to the great outdoors. I led him into the woods where it was only just darkening. I'd talked this over with my pack mates. My dad was going to get a large dose of knowledge tonight.

"What is it, Kevin?" he must have noticed how worried I was. What if the Volturi came? A good amount of parents knew about the vampires we hunted and protected, but that didn't mean that the Volturi couldn't blame them for knowing too much just because they are the parents and they deserve to know.

"Dad, I need you to listen to what I'm about to tell you carefully." I swallowed. "You know that I'm a werewolf, correct?"

"Yes," his tone was cautious.

"And you know that we are very strong, very fast, have rapid healing and delayed aging, correct?"

"Yes," he repeated.

"Well now you need to know _why_ we exist with these multiple abilities."

"To kill the leeches and mosquitos," he replied.

"Those are code names," I reminded him icily. "I told you that to protect you. The real things we fight… are vampires."

His brow cocked as he looked as me as if I were joking. "Vampires? Melt in the sun, pale-skinned vampires. Can't you just throw some garlic at them?"

It took a lot not to fall on the ground laughing. Instead, I smiled and chuckled. "Dad, vampires are more real than you or I ever knew. They walk amongst us humans. But worse than their horrible dietary habits, they aren't nearly as weak as legends have taught you to believe. No, they don't melt in the sun, but they don't go out in it. Garlic doesn't kill them, nor do stakes to the heart."

"Why can't they go out in the sun?" I'd known he was getting to that.

"Because if they go in the sun, they sparkle."

"Sparkle?" he coughed.

"It'd be easier to show you, but there are currently no vampires in La Push. I'd have to go all the way to Forks. Anyway, I never told you because there are these people called the Volturi who rule the vampire world. The Volturi hate us werewolves, but that's not the point. If a mortal knows too much about the immortals, then they will be killed. After discussing this with the pack, I decided that you are safe to know this knowledge."

"Tell me more – about these vampires," he insisted.

"There are two kinds of vampires in the world – regular ones and vegetarians. They aren't actually vegetarians, but that's what we call them. Most vampires drink human blood, hence they have red eyes. But vegetarian vampires drink the blood of animals; such as deer, mountain lions, or any other sort of animal. A family of vegetarian vampires named the Cullen's live in Fork's. You remember Dr. Carlisle Cullen? Yeah, he's a vampire."

"But… that goes against everything. Don't they sleep in coffins and stuff as well?"

"No, they don't sleep." I smirked. "They live forever, unless you kill them. There's only one way to kill a vampire. You tear them apart and burn the pieces. They're like stone, they don't bleed. And believe me, they taste absolutely revolting." My face wrinkled at the thought. "And to werewolves they stink worse than hell. Only our sharp teeth can penetrate their granite skin." I flashed him a grin that was sure to look menacing.

"So the Black Pack protects the Cullen's?" he caught on.

"Yes. Leah is in the Black Pack. The Uley Pack doesn't want to kill them, but we don't particularly like them – except me. I think they're cool, but that's just because Leah does."

"Why do you have to leave, then? Something about vampires?" he asked.

"Yes, actually about the Volturi." I struggled to remain emotionless. I could only imagine the confrontation that was sure to come in the next three days… "Three fourths of my pack left half a month ago to scout out vampire activities in South America. While they were out there, they were ambushed by the Volturi. The Volturi is trying to get rid of us. They kidnapped Sam, Jarod, and Paul – the leaders of our pack – and have made a death sentence for them. I've taken over as Alpha. Both of the entire packs are going to San Francisco to deal with the Volturi and save Sam, Jarod, and Paul."

"That's where you'll be," he confirmed. His eyes darkened. "But you don't know if you'll be coming back,"

"No." I coughed. "But it's not my safety that matters, anyway. I'm just the substitute Alpha. I'll be spending my time protecting Leah mostly, so I shouldn't be in too much danger. Still… I'm sure of one thing. Thirty werewolves will be going out there but only so many will be coming back. The Volturi are nothing compared to our strength or size, but they have powers, and numbers."

"Kevin, you can't go, it'd kill us if anything ever happened to you."

"I can't lead this pack, Dad, and I can't let it lead itself." I glanced up. I could almost imagine what he was thinking. "Dad, I promise, I will do anything in my power to come back. And if I don't…" I cleared my throat. "If I don't come back from this battle, I want you to promise me something."

"Yes?"

I walked so I was about six inches from him, just as much taller as well. I put my hand on his shoulder. "If anything happens to me, swear that you'll take care of Leah."

"I swear," he assured quickly but confidently.

"It'll be hard," I warned him, "but you'll have to remember that she will be suffering more than you. Comfort her. Tell her about me. And… if the worst does happen… tell her that I love her." I could feel tears just beginning to form. Don't cry. Don't cry. Big wuss, don't cry! Idiot! Thinking positive, at least Leah would be alive and living even if I wasn't.

Silence. He nodded. I could see him clenching his jaw. His hand came up and patted my shoulder as we walked back toward the house. "You'll come back," he told me as much as himself. "You will."

"Sure," my reply wasn't confident. I was simply going to hope Leah made it back and nothing else. "And also… tell her I'm always with her."

He didn't respond this time. We walked inside to find Mom waiting for us. She inspected our expressions. "Well?"

"Kevin's going," my dad said. "Him or Leah will call to tell us when he's on his way back."

Mom held back a small gasp. "Okay… what are you taking with you?"

"Nothing. I've got to go now," I said. Quickly, I wrapped my arms around Mom, giving her a strong hug before turning to my dad. His eyes were painfully raw.

"Bye, Kevin." He gave me a light hug that I returned, harder than I meant to. He choked.

"Sorry," I murmured as I turned and shut the door. "I'm so sorry."

With that, I began running to a phase, faster than I had expected. No one was there yet. I would check in on Cohl, he might be having more trouble considering he was still new.

I got to Kevin's house to hear him yelling at his parents. "But I've got to go! Sam's in grave danger if we can't help him!"

"No, you need to get your grades up then you can go out and have fun," his Dad's voice boomed.

"I'm not having fun!" he insisted. "My friend is suicidal. He needs our help,"

"Who is this friend again?"

"Sam Uley."

"Don't know him."

"You can meet him sometime if we save him."

"No."

I walked up to the door fully-clothed and knocked.

Cohl's dad opened the door. "Kevin," he grumbled. "Cohl's busy right now."

"Sorry, Sir, but it's urgent." I made it so there was no joke. "I'm recruiting a few other friends to go save my cousin – Sam – who has gotten himself into a bad jam. Can Cohl please come? He's one of my best friends and it would be nice to have his support." I made it so I was very sincere.

I could see him debating. "Who all's going?" he grumbled.

"Brady Fuller, Tony Thomas, Collin Littlesea, my girlfriend Leah Clearwater, and Jacob Black. We'll only be gone a few days." I was going to keep Cohl on the backlines of the battle just in case.

"Dad, I need to support my friends," Cohl insisted as his dad thought all this information through.

"Fine… but be back, or else."

"Thanks!" Cohl ran toward the door.

"Aren't you taking anything with you?"

"No. I've got stuff," I lied as we turned and ran.

"Thanks," Cohl said.

"Phase," I replied as I jumped out of my pants. I'd gotten pretty good at that in the last few months.

He did so. _Remember to keep your clothes good, or else you're going bare human._

_ Will do._

About half of the werewolves who had involved parents had joined us – including Jacob. _To the rock! _I ordered. _I'm going to check on Brady._

Brady's house was just a neighborhood over. Phase. Walk to the door.

"I promise, just give me a week. I'm sure to be home by then."

"What are you doing, again?"

"Helping Jarod, Paul, and Sam. You know them, remember? They're all stuck in San Francisco with no money or transportation."

"Okay."

The door flew open. Brady stood in front of me. "Hey, Kevin!" he said. "Let's go."

"Yes. See you later, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller," I said as I walked outside. "Clothes," I said as he was about to phase.

"Right."

One phase later, we were met by even more minds. Three fourths of the pack, not including Collin. _Brady, go round them up. I'm going to check on Collin. He'll be having the hardest time._

_ Gotcha Kevin._

My prediction proved true. What sane parent would let their 14 year old go out with a ton of 17 year olds?

I knocked on the door, not bothering to listen on the current conversation. Collin's dad answered the door. "Hello," he said.

"Dad, this is Kevin," Collin appeared from nowhere. He must have recognized my scent. "He's the oldest…" I gulped at the lye.

"Hello, Mr. Littlesea." I held out my hand and he shook it. Act mature… got it. "I came to see if Collin was attending our expedition."

"Expedition?"

"Yes. Expedition. He is a crucial part in our quest to save our friend Sam. If he doesn't come… I'm not sure we can do that." Sincerity is key.

"Why is Collin such a big part?"

"Well, you see, Sir, if he doesn't come along, Sam will be crestfallen. He needs all his friends to support him in this time of hardship. Besides, all of us like Collin. He's a very nice kid to hang around." I finished with the slightest smile. "I promise we'll take special care of him and he'll be back in a week, tops."

His dad looked about ready to object when Collin added, "If you let me go, I'll take those martial arts classes you've always wanted me to take."

"Deal. Have fun," he insisted as I let Collin out the door.

"Thank you, Mr. Littlesea. See you later!" I called as I made my way to the forest. "Phase. No clothes."

Now the entire pack was there, and Leah and Seth. _Leah, thank heaven. What did Sue and Charlie say?_

_ Charlie thinks Sue is crazy for letting us go. Sue told him need-to-know and he shut up quickly. Apparently your parents let you go… somehow._

_ Yes. That doesn't matter, though. I told them the hard truth… at least my dad… about how I… might not return._

_ Of course you'll come back! _She growled. _I'm not about to let a single bloodsucker even look at you._

_ No, you're going to stay safely at my side. No one's touching you._

_ Guys, _Quil growled, _how about we put you in the middle so no one can touch either of you? Anyway, it's time to go. A day and a half run is ahead of us._

_ Yes, _I jumped out of the forest and on to the rock to find Brady at my side, Leah at my other. _We will run in neat order. Me flanked by Jacob and Leah. Jacob will be flanked on the other side by Seth. Brady, Collin, Tony, and Cohl are directly behind us. The rest of the pack will follow in groups of four. _They agreed and I jumped down so Leah was on my right side, Jacob on my left. I placed my nose to her ear. _Let's go._

For that first night, we ran nearly silently. The first rays of dawn were touching the sky when we decided we had to stop. Finding our way through woods was a difficult request. A good portion of the pack hadn't slept in at least two days. Our pace was dragging. _Let's stop to sleep,_ I requested. _It'll be safer to travel by night, anyway. Everyone, go. I'll keep watch._

_ With me._

_ Leah, _I sighed, _you need sleep._

_ As much as you do._

That was a fair point. _Fine. Come on, we'll watch from that point over there. _We walked to the highest point overlooking our sleeping pack.

Silence settled once again for a few hours, until Leah looked up to me. _Kevin, what if one of us doesn't make it?_

_ You'll make it, _I promised her.

_What if you don't make it? _She repeated.

_Then you will move on with your life and know that as long as you're well, I'm happy._

Her gaze narrowed. I turned to meet it. The beginning of tears down her muzzle started me. _Kevin, _her thoughts seemed to tremble and crack as her voice would have, _how can you possibly think I'll ever be able to live in this world without you?_

That took me by surprise for a moment. _Why wouldn't you? _

_ I imprinted on you as much as you imprinted on me. Imagine that I don't make it back, _she moved onto an easier but more painful subject. _Would you be able to live like to its fullest? Would you be able to blink, think, move, or even breathe if I wasn't around?_

A chill warped up my spine. That was exactly what I would be handicapped from if she died… and to know she felt the same way made me feel awful for trapping her in this situation. _No,_ I answered her questions quietly.

Her muzzle brushed against my cheek, eyes warmer than I'd ever seen them. _I'm not going into the battle and leaving without you._

_ Me neither,_ I promised. _And Leah, can you promise me something?_

She hesitated. _Yes. What?_

_ Stay by my side._

_ Will do. _She took a seat next to me, licking around my cheek. I smiled and watched her teasingly in a way that made her pause and ask, _What?_

_I love you._

_ I love you, too._

Excitement rushed through me. I sat up straight and set my muzzle against her forehead, licking. It was much easier to be affectionate as wolves – less awkward.

She leaned against my shoulder. I let her. We still had a long time until sunset. _Sleep, my Leah. You are my only love. Sleep now and soon this mess will be over. We'll live together forever… happily ever after._

**Happy happy happy stufffffff. Okay, one more chapter until… DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN. See ya next chapter thanks for the reviews! :D**


	15. Chapter 14

**MWAHAHAHAHHAHHAAA I feel so evil. XD What do I do to these poor people? You might or might not like this twist but just go with it. I promise that after a little bit (of a lot) of pain something better will happen. So… and another thing: Yes, Kevin is being **_**really **_**stupid in this Chapter just because… well… you'll see. :D**

Part 14 Kevin

The last rays of sunlight struggled at the edge of the horizon, as if they didn't want to go. I know I didn't want them to leave, either. Leah was sound asleep as I lay on the ground next to her. It would be painful to wake her up. She was so fascinating when she slept – peaceful.

Brady woke up and walked over to me where I sat next to Leah. _Congratulations, _he thought.

_What?_

_ You got yourself a girl. _

I couldn't help a faint smile. Even now – fur enshrouded in shadows – Leah could be an angel with the way her pelt glowed in the moon that was edging past the tree line. Her breathing was even and she snored ever-so-slightly. If I wanted I could probably sneak into her head and see what she was dreaming about, but I knew better than to mess with her like that.

_What are you going to do?_

_ What do you mean?_

_ On Saturday. What are you going to do?_

Saturday. I gulped. _I'm going to make sure she gets home alive._

_ What about yourself?_

_ Somebody has to die._

_ Is it possible that you love her enough that you think she could live better without you than you could without her? In this case imprinting is a two way process. Haven't you considered that she can't live without you as much as you can't live without her?_

_ There is that possibility, _I shrugged, _which I have considered. But if it does come to the point where she has to live without me so be it I just want her to be happy._

He didn't speak after that, just silently shook his head. _I'll wake the pack._

Within a few minutes the entire pack was awake. They all turned to me, a new glimmer of determination in their eyes as they woke for a new start. A new day. A day closer to my death.

_Let's go! _I howled; leaping the first bend as Jacob and Leah fell into place at my flank. _We've got a lot of ground to cover in the next two days. _

_ What are you planning, Kevin? _Leah could sense something I wasn't sharing with her.

_If we can get there by dawn we'll be able to set up a camp and stock up on energy before the attack. We'd have a better chance._

_ Yes, but we can only move so fast. _Jacob reasoned.

Silence fell over us. An odd feeling was creeping up my spine. They weren't telling me something. _What are you keeping from me? _I growled lightly at each of them.

_Nothing you want to know. _Leah's answer was definite.

_ Tell me._

_ No, Kevin, _Jacob ordered, using the fact he was a real Alpha to order me around. _You'll know soon enough._

Leah whimpered lightly as she ran. I sensed her stride faltering. _Leah, you okay?_

_ Yes._

All I could tell was that something was happening and it involved Leah, but no one would tell me. This frustrated me greatly. Leah's my imprintee; if something's going on I deserve to know. Holding back a snarl of complaint at Jacob, I picked up the pace. _Hurry up! _I ordered. _Edward could run faster than us at this point!_

By the time morning was approaching, we had just reached the outer city lines of San Francisco. _Okay, here's the deal. Jake brought a few thousand dollars from the Cullen's. Let's not spend it all, but enough to feed all of us. We will go into the city in random groups of 2 – 4 and buy whatever we need to eat. At 3:00 I expect all of us to meet right here as humans. Understand?_

They all nodded. _Leah? Want to go with me? _I asked innocently enough.

_Yes. _She smiled. After our recent conversation, she seemed drained of enthusiasm. I tried to drop the thought as I phased, but it wouldn't go. She followed me and we dressed quickly. "Okay, everyone," I said, "remember not to walk in all at the same time." Taking Leah's hand, we entered the city first.

Jacob had rationed out the money. Leah and I each had about $50. While I felt bad spending all this precious money, I was glad that the Cullen's had given this to us. Having a psychic in the house must really help out financially sometimes.

We ate dinner at a small restaurant around noon and headed back to the meeting place to sneak in a few extra hours of sleep. Leah was next to silent the whole time. Finally, I decided to ask her. "What's wrong?"

Her brown eyes cast up to me, full of pain. "Kevin… it's Alice's vision." She choked. I could see her fighting emotions. She shook her head.

"What about it?"

"At the battle… something _terrible_ is going to happen."

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

For a few seconds, she said nothing but stared at the ground. "Someone is going to die." She whispered.

Someone was going to die, no dip! But the way she said it… I was sure she meant someone important. It couldn't be her. No! I ruled that out immediately. Leah wouldn't die; there wouldn't be a chance for her to die. I wasn't going to let a leech near her. Seth? I could understand why she would be upset over Seth's death. Or Jacob's. Or mine, but if it was me I was sure she would've told me.

"It's okay," I replied and wrapped her in a hug. "It'll be alright." Beneath me she was tense and silent. Please let that not mean something bad…

To my surprise, most the people were waiting for us when we reached the meeting spot. Jacob gave Leah a hard look before turning and shaking his head in disapproval. I snarled lightly before phasing. The pack followed my lead. _I want everyone to get sleep now. No need for guards. Jake, what time is the battle going to begin?_

_ Once the first tails of dawn have just touched the ocean's edge over the cliffs of the rocky bay, _he answered honestly.

_Great. We will wake a few hours before then. Sleep._

Lying down, I sighed and shut my eyes. I was aware of Leah curling into a ball at my side. Some emotion was radiating through her. She felt guilty. Why? Never mind. We all had to sleep so we could save Sam, Paul, and Jarod.

When I woke, it was dark. Glancing at a random watch lying on the ground, I saw it read 3:00. _Wake up!_ I yelled and barked out loud. _Wake up! It's time to go._

_ What? Oh! _Leah's mind clicked into what was happening. She wasn't feeling very enthusiastic, so I decided to try and cheer her up.

_Hey, Leah. _I pressed my nose against hers and wagged my tail. A large smile spread across my muzzle. _It's the big day!_

She met me with a smile but it was half-hearted. _Yay. _She sighed. Her eyes watched me meaningfully.

_What?_

_ Kevin… I just want you to know how much you mean to me._

_ I know that already. _I assured her with a licked across the cheek.

Her eyes flashed. _Whatever happens, remember that. _

Instead of answering I fondly nibbled behind her ear. _I will. I swear by Ephraim Black. _

She smiled, now apparently happy. _Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!_

I began leading the pack until Jacob told us to stop. _Here, _he declared, _is where the battle will take place._

We took note of the area. It was a large clearing in the trees stretched out along the coast. The Cliffside was rocky and dropped immediately to a perilous rocky bay below. Dangerous indeed. I swallowed and turned to look east. Pink was just visible at the end of the horizon. _Jake, Brady… Leah… and I will be in the front to confront the Volturi first. _My thoughts quavered. I didn't like that thought. _Everyone else spread out evenly behind us. _

After carefully arranging our positions to waste time for an hour, I turned to look at the see. Sunlight was just starting to reflect off the elegant waves. _They'll be here._

Not two moments after I spoke, we smelt them. A growl resounded in my throat. They had Sam, Paul, and Jarod with them. Arrogant fools! They were so sure they could win they'd brought the subjects with them! We'd show them better. I snapped my jaws and flicked my head. _I'm going to phase and try to talk._

Not listening to Leah's objections, I did so and put my pants on. Wouldn't want to be caught naked in the eyes of 'royalty.'

They emerged, coal black cloaks giving me the chills. Geez! Didn't they have proper attire in Italy? Their choices for outfits made them look like Dracula which they highly despised. "Hello," my voice boomed as they came to a sudden halt a few hundred feet away.

Aro – I recognized him from someone's memory – took his hood off, revealing his face. The others followed this motion. "Our werewolf friends, what a pleasant surprise." His voice was smooth.

"Perhaps for you." My voice was cold. "We understand you've come here in preparation to execute our packmates?"

"Perhaps you'll see it as that," his voice was a smooth, black chuckle, "but we see it as _justice._"

"How can you bring justice to those that haven't done anything but such?" I asked. I took a step toward them, earning a growl from Jacob and whimper from Leah.

Aro's guffaw took me by surprise. "Justice upon their own wrongdoings? Preposterous! We've come for justice upon the wrongdoings of your _kind."_ He began using gestures with his hands. "You have corrupted our ways of life. All we wish to do is live in peace. If anything ever _does _come up," his crimson eyes sparked, "then it's up to _us _to take care of it. Your kind is a burr that we must expel from our world."

Where was Sam? I could smell him yet I couldn't see him. Glancing back at the packs, I shrugged. "Well?"

Leah gave me a look. I could tell what she was thinking. _It's time to fight, Kevin. _

"Hold on," I growled. "Aro, if we help you then why do you want to kill us?"

"You don't help us; you kill our kind without cause." His gaze measured me carefully. "Besides, young wolf, I understand you have no authority to talk to me as an Alpha. Is that so, for the true Alpha is held captive by my own forces?"

A snarl built up in my throat. "I'm as much a damn Alpha as Jacob or Sam. These wolves will follow me. It doesn't matter what you say."

"Jacob," Aro's voice rose with recognition. "Dearest Jacob, I understand that you've taken second command to this inexperienced wolf, now haven't you?" he was changing the subject, trying to deepen the rifts between our packs.

Jacob snapped his jaws. I shook my head. "That's not going to work, Aro." I responded curtly. "Our packs have stronger connections than you are aware of."

"Oh, the imprinting, I am aware." A cruel smirk played across his face. Dammit, he must have read all our minds just through Sam. "But that will not last long, shall it, Leah?" he emphasized.

His words confused me. What was he talking about? Casting my gaze back to look at Leah, I found Jacob had his teeth around her neck as he stopped her from charging Aro. "Stop! Leah, stop!" I shouted. She did so with a whimper, listening to me clearly but anger still alive fresh with sorrow in her eyes.

"What do you mean, Aro?" I asked through gritted teeth.

His gaze flickered innocently to Leah and Jacob. "You didn't tell him?" he asked in an almost shocked way. Then he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "What a shame."

Confusion clouded my thoughts. What the hell were they talking about? Never mind that. "If you wish for a fight, then a fight you will get." I growled as I clenched my jaw, summoning my anger until I expanded into a wolf. _Rip. _Crap. There went my pants.

_Don't move, _I ordered. _Leah, stay by my side. Everyone, remember basic training. Don't let them wrap their arms around you. Aim for the head and never go for the obvious kill._

Subconsciously, they agreed. I stomped my paws and let out a roar of challenge. _If you want a fight, come and get it!_

Suddenly, a whimper of pain escaped Leah. She crumpled to the ground beside me. Shit. I'd forgotten one thing while planning this battle.

The Volturi had powers.

_Take Alec out first, then Jane! We can't risk them staying alive for long. Brady, Quil, Embry, Cohl, guard Leah until Jane's under control._ I let out a final war howl. _Attack!_

Chaos erupted as thirty wolves followed my howl and a hundred pawsteps thumped toward where the Volturi waited for us.Our minds were hell to listen to, all of us thinking different things at once. _Alec and Jane are waiting near the middle. Don't jump. The vampires will reach up and grab your middle section. _

Instead, we met them head on. They had waited for us in a tight group, calm as could be. I lowered my head to shoulder level, bracing myself for the pain that was sure to follow as I hit the granite skin of my enemies. My mouth gaped, ready for the first victim.

My mouth snapped shut at perfect timing, cutting that vampire in half. We should've brought Bella. She would've been a huge help at this point. I knew Chelsea could manipulate relationships throughout the packs. Jane could make you feel pain. Alec could rob you of senses. Felix was physically invincible. Heidi was manipulatively attractive. Santiago and Demetri are trackers. Oh no, what had I gotten my pack into?

A few random vampires had already fallen to pieces. Lithe and light Seth made his way and leapt at Alec, taking him down just as he was exposing his powers upon us.

Suddenly, a horrible pain radiated through my body. It seemed to have no point of origin. It was just… everywhere at the same time. With a whine, I crumbled to the ground, writhing as I struggled to overcome the agony. What was happening?

My eyes blinked slightly. My blurry vision revealed Jane standing before me, brick eyes accompanied by a cruel smile. I struggled to control my legs, but they flailed uselessly at my sides. No! I'd imagined my own death today, but never like this. Never so quickly. Never before I had a chance to ensure Leah's safety.

_Nice try, hot shot, _Leah's light laugh bounced in my head as the pain was erased. I blinked my eyes wide to see her teeth fastened around Jane's head. With a pop it came off. _We need to make quick work of this coven so we can have a chance to burn them before they go and rebuild themselves._

_ Thank you. _I took a second to lick her muzzle. Strong emotions rushed through her, but I ignored them now. _Let's go toward the backlines of the Volturi. There we may be able to find Sam. _While I had enjoyed my time as Alpha, it wasn't what I was born to be. I was glad Sam was here to reclaim the position.

_No! _Leah exclaimed. _They've taken him back toward the edge of the cliff. They plan to dispose of them all now! _

_ Then what are we waiting for? _I snarled viciously and turned tail, sprinting toward the cliff. Leah bolted ahead of me. _My side! _I ordered. There was no way she was getting ahead of me.

With a huff she matched my pace. _You're slow. _She said fondly.

_No need to brag,_ I smiled.

There was a slight pause in our conversation before she spoke again. _Kevin… there's something you need to know._

_ What, Leah? You know I'm always here to listen, _I urged her gently. We were almost at the Cliffside.

_Someone's going to die. Someone very important to you. You need to remember that life will go on, okay? _Her gaze flicked to me. _You hear me? Life will go on._

_ I heard you… _I was suspicious.

_And promise me something._

_ Yes?_

_ Promise me that you won't do anything stupid._

_ I promise. _That was easy enough.

She didn't say anything more. We stopped, looking down to the rocky bay. _Where are they? _I asked.

My eyes turned. There they were – back near the edge of the forest. _They tricked us! _She snarled. To my surprise, her snarl was full of such pain and sorrow that it stabbed into my morrow.

_ Leah, it's okay. It'll take about two seconds to get over there again._

Her eyes turned to me, full of pain. She shook her head. _No, Kevin. That's not the problem. That's the problem. _She pointed her muzzle back to the edge of the cliff. Rocks were beginning to crumble and fall to the ocean. Panic stabbed me as I realized that the cracks were making their way up around our paws – just feet away.

The very ground beneath us was giving way.

_Run, Leah. Run! _Grabbing her scruff for a second to give her a boost, I began sprinting away from the ground. _Run!_

Making our way onto more stable ground, we ran. _Maybe we can start pushing the vampires over the edge._

_ Yes. _Her thoughts shivered.

_We've made it, see. Don't be afraid. _Why was she afraid of the ground? I could see her trembling.

_We made it. Yes, we made it. _Her thoughts were now questioning.

_What is it? _I asked Leah.

_Alice had a vision. She saw someone falling down the cliff._

_ That's it? That's what you've been hiding? _I sighed. _Who did she see fall down the cliff and why are you being so stubborn about it? _

The look she gave me – like I was stupid – told me exactly. I was stupid. A complete idiot! I should've looked past my certainty that I was going to die and see what she'd feared telling me all along. Alice had seen her die today. But Alice had been wrong. The fur on my hackles rose and I snapped my jaws.

_Kevin, are you mad at me?_

_ No. _I answered simply; after all, she was still alive.

_What are you feeling?_

_ I feel like ripping someone's head off. _

She smiled the most beautiful dazzling smile I'd ever seen her smile – in either wolf or human form. _Let's go, together._

With her at my side, we began sprinting forward. It was time to save Sam. Time to return to a regular wolf with an irregular life and a definitely abnormal girlfriend.

But before we made it too far, someone jumped down in front of us. The smirking face of Felix met us. Felix. I gulped. He had strong physical strength, but nothing two mates couldn't handle. _Buck off mosquito!_

"No, no, no…" he sniggered quietly. "Not today, puppies."

With a roar, I lashed forward to rip his head off. Before my teeth could get ahold of his rigid, stony body, his fist met my muzzle. A whimper escaped me. I fell back onto the ground, taking a moment for the pain to heal.

I blinked and stood just to find Leah raving for vengeance as she leapt to attack Felix. _Leah, no! _

It was too late. Felix lifted his leg in a clean kick, sending Leah flying at least 20 feet back. I was about to go and rip his head off until I realized where she had landed.

Straight in the middle of the crumbling ground.

She had a split second to whimper and lift her head – glancing at me helplessly. Then, the ground beneath her dissolved. Leah was sent pummeling to her death in the perilous, rocky waves below.

**Watd I tell ya? REALLY STUPID. So… yup. I had to rewrite that last paragraph a few times because at first it was too mushy gooshey cheesy and then it was: she fell over the cliff. Done. But… trust me… we still have a few good chapters to go before this story will end. ;) **


	16. Chapter 15

**MWAHAHHAHAHAHA! I didn't start crying until three-fourths of the way through this Chapter. Mehe. In my defense, when I was writing three-fourths of the way through this chapter, it was also 1:00 in the morning on a school night and there's always a breaking point when you've just gotta cry because you're exhausted and writing super sad stuff. XD But ANYWAY… enjoy the pain I'm putting Kevin through. Yes, I get so depressed in my real life I take it out on my poor charries… -_- Kevin: *glares at me and sticks out tongue* Me: *smiles* Anyway, I was also prewriting this chapter in S.S. while we were watching a 5 HOUR movie. It was either this or imagining Jasper in the Confederacy, but once they started losing that became impossible. So if it seems depressing, that's what state of mind I was in. XD But, yeah. I'm rambling. ENJOY!**

**PS: Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys! They make my day!**

**PPS: This chapters a little longer than I realized at first…**

**PPPS: Oh stop listening to me!**

Part 15 Kevin

Wait… _what?_

What just happened?

I couldn't wrap my head around it for a moment. But after that second of innocent meandering, my mind was stabbed with the hard reality.

_Leah? _I gulped.

No reply.

_Leah…_

It felt as if I had swallowed a sword, set my fur on fire, had been punched by a vampire in the muzzle, crushed by one in the ribs, had my tail torn off, boiled my paws in scalding water, and been pierced by thousands of fangs releasing poisonous venom into my veins all at that same time multiplied by a thousand.

Leah was dead.

_Dead._

Emotions roiled inside me, swiftly turning from all the pain imaginable to anger so fierce that if I'd been human I wouldn't have even had time to feel it coming or tremble. My gaze began throbbing a red hue in synchronization with my accelerating heartbeat. A snarl ripped my face. I turned to Felix who was standing stupidly close to me. His accomplished smirk quickly turned.

Maybe it was the look of pure, untamed vengeance or the heat radiating from the morrow in my bones, but Felix seemed to get the message that he'd done something unforgivable. Something so horrific that he wouldn't live through it. May it take a decade or a century, I would hunt him down. I would tear him to pieces so miniscule that he wouldn't even know what had hit him or when.

Time slowed down. I could almost feel the fear coursing from Felix as he turned in slow motion to begin running. Taking a half a second to bunch my muscles, I charged forward. The sooner I finished him the better. My shoulders flexed as my strides lengthened drastically, time slowly speeding up. Felix was running into the dense forest. I was following him.

_Ker-thump … Ker-thump … Ker-thump … Ker-thump …_

My pawsteps against the ground boomed in my ears. I could almost see the black gaze of my narrowed eyes and the baring of my lips to reveal pink gums and razor-sharp teeth. I was hardly conscious of the tears streaming down my sides and blurring my vision. Air from my lungs gasped in and out of my body, feeding it the necessary oxygen I needed to move even faster.

I was gaining on him. We were in the trees now. He was fast, but I was faster. The trees didn't stand a chance. On accident, I knocked a few down. For the most part I was able to move agilely and swiftly after my prey. If only she could see me now, Leah would be impressed!

Leah. Couldn't think about the source of my anguish now. Just the prospect sent my pace faltering. No! Had to think solely on my obsession for retribution. That was all that mattered anymore.

I was two feet away from him. I could feel my hot breath bouncing off his skin and back into my muzzle. Just before I could strike, he disappeared. What? Where was he? I wasn't finished!

Just in time, I skidded to a halt. I was on the very edge of an outcropping cliff overlooking the sea. I only had time to see Felix disappearing beneath the surface of the waves before he was gone.

Gone. How in bloody hell had he gotten away from me? My head lowered to my shoulders and my eyes squinted shut as hard as they could, tears leaking from my jaw like a river. I'd failed! I clenched my teeth together. My lips still exposed them vibrantly in a dangerous manner. My ears pushed flat against my skull as if they could crush it. I stumbled backwards a few feet, my hackles raised as I was suddenly overcome by loathing and sorrow.

My eyes opening just a centimeter so I could blink through my tears, I lifted my head and howled. It was long and loud, resounding off the nearby hills far away. But even as I howled, I could feel the pain. It didn't ease. It didn't worsen. It just sat there and tormented me. I howled so long my lungs began to ache. When that happened, I just kept howling. After about 30 long seconds, I finally took a breath to and howled again.

By this point I'd been joined by the rest of the packs. Their voices were filled with the pain I was feeling – especially Sam. Sam… he was safe. But at what price? A price that should never have been paid.

Three minutes passed. I howled. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. The howling wasn't helping! I threw myself off the Cliffside and into the forest, recklessly running with my eyes closed. _Thud. _There was a tree in my way. It fell with a crash.

My eyes fluttered open to find trees everywhere. The world spun around me at an alarming rate. Was I moving? I doubted it. Why was I so dizzy? Who cared? I was mad at the trees. They plagued me with the knowledge that I didn't have control of myself anymore. With a demented roar, I ran to meet one.

It's hard bark took me by surprise, but delighted me all the same in some sort of vague delight I could ever possibly find in this new world. A roar/snarl vibrated through me. The tree was falling. I snapped at it as it did so, my jaws tearing the outermost lair of wood. The starchy taste of it with my own blood satisfied me. I bit hard. Again and again, I attacked it with my paws and jaws.

This ritual continued until that particular tree was worthless. Broken beyond recognition or repair. As I glared at the tree, I felt my anger fading. My sight halted, no longer dancing in dizzying patterns. As I glared at the tree, I found understanding.

This tree was me. It had been flawless. Tall and strong. Now it lay before me, chewed like a dog toy and slaughtered by the fangs of the supernatural world. It may as well have been a ton of splinters or graveyard of pencils now.

Clarity came to me. I was the tree because I was broken beyond repair. Shavings of my former self. I would never heal. I would never grow back or flourish with light. I was dead. There was no life left for me to live. My reason for existing had been destroyed.

My legs shook and gave way beneath me. I knelt on the ground, back hunched in pain. Whimpering, I rubbed my snout in the mud. On the slippery, vile liquid, my paws slowly skated down so I was laying – chest and face in the mud while my back arched up to my sitting hind legs. I didn't want to move. Or breathe. Or think. I wanted to be alone to die.

The sudden appearance of a blue wolf startled me. Not the kind of startle where you jump up and exclaim 'What the hell?' but more or less the kind where you stare motionlessly and think 'What the hell?'

_Come on, Kevin. _His voice was very quiet. Cohl. He was afraid of me. Why was he afraid of me? Or was he afraid for me?

_ Why? What's the point?_ My thoughts were hollow.

_Aro wants to talk to us, but Sam refused to listen without you present._

_ Aro. _The name sent cold shivers up my spine. Not shivers of fear, shivers of hate and so many emotions of the such that Cohl flinched away. He was scared of me. _I'll never harm you Cohl. _I stated bluntly.

_I know that. Just… come. _Gently, he bent over so he could look into my eyes. He was so innocent. Gently, he nudged my neck and licked my forehead in sympathy. _Come before Sam orders Brady or Tony to come and fetch you._

_ I'm freaking coming, no need to send the whole damn army. _I stood with stiff legs. How long had I been laying there? I'd thought just a minute but according to my muscles it'd been longer. Stumbling after him with unnatural slowness, I began making my way back through the forest.

The trail of destruction I'd left from my chase was raw in appearance. I'd completely cleared away half the underbrush in the area and smothered all the ferns into the ground. I'd run further than I was aware of. It was a good several minutes before we were back in the clearing.

Phasing back and putting Cohl's pants on, I stalked toward where Sam stood as human. He was flanked by Paul and Jarod wolves. As he saw me, he offered a spot at his right side. Grumbling with what I'm sure looked like a pout on my face, I took the placement.

"I understand you wish to talk," Sam spoke to Aro. I could see silent tears in his eyes. He'd loved Leah, too. Not as much as me, but he had. Leah. The fresh pain caused me to flinch.

"Yes, my dearest friends," Aro's voice was cheery, as if the whole world revolved around him. "I believe we've simply had a misunderstanding here."

"We have indeed had a misunderstanding!" my voice began as a growl, slowly growing. I trembled, but not in the way a wolf did before he phased. I trembled in a way that suggested pain. I spoke through clenched jaws. "You order a death sentence to us all try to kill us and only afterwards you want to freaking talk? Hell no! It just doesn't work that way!" I took a bold step forward. I could feel sweat dripping down my face in the anger.

"Kevin," Sam warned me. "Don't make a scene."

"If I'm going to make a scene, so be it! It doesn't matter anymore!" I turned to glare at him, my trembles becoming deeper with the wolf instinct.

"Brothers, brothers, no need to quarrel." The smooth voice of the Volturi leader cooed behind me. I flashed around so he was in my gaze. "There was no battle meant to be fought today. Now I ask that we may walk away peacefully as friends."

"You son of a bitch!" I cried, pointing one finger at leech. "Damn straight there was no battle to fight, but there was one. If you wanted to freaking talk you should have done it before Leah died." More tears – if that was even possible – streamed down my face. I felt my head beginning to ache as I was becoming dehydrated. "You hear that? Leah _died! _She's dead and it's all because of you and your stupid battle and your fucked-up excuses."

At this point, I was cut off as two humans grabbed me by each of my arms. I turned to see Brady and Tony pulling me back. Only now did I realize I was a few feet from Aro. Hardly struggling, they made sure I was well behind Sam.

Aro spoke to me. "My dear friend, death is a part of life. You must learn to accept that fact and nourish it so someday you may prosper with a new, clear perspective."

I pushed both Brady and Tony off me in a single shove. "You knew this was going to happen!" I screamed in new understanding. "This was the whole point of today, wasn't it? You wanted to break me, and what better way than kill my imprintee? You did this on purpose to break our packs apart and to kill me and hurt Sam? Two weak Alpha's! It was all you!"

At this point, just about every single person was around me. They all warned as they phased to. They told me to suck it up and not to attack, but my instincts told me otherwise. My heartbeat was so loud I knew they could hear it. It pulsed faster and stronger as I wished with all my lifeblood that I could sink my teeth into the ugly, demented head of Aro.

Only what Brady said calmed me down. "Kevin, don't attack him. He didn't kill her, it was Felix. We'll hunt him down, I promise. Just let Aro go and no one else will die."

"But I want to die. I was supposed to die!"

"Think about what you promised Leah."

Dammit! Why had I promised her? I'd told her that I would move on with my life. I told her I wouldn't do anything stupid. While that all should seem empty now, I only felt more obligated. If that was Leah's last request, then hell yes I was going to listen to it!

"If that's all you wish to say, Aro, we must get home." Sam said. "We've got families waiting on us… and families that need time to grieve."

The air caught in my throat. I felt a solid lump forming. I didn't worry. I wasn't going to cry. I didn't have the strength to cry. Thrusting all the shielding arms away from me, I stalked into the open. The only reason I bothered taking my pants off was because they were Cohls. I phased carelessly and ran to the edge of the forest to wait for my pack. I couldn't look at those black-cloaked leeches anymore.

My pack joined me quickly. Our thoughts were silent. Either they had them under control for respectful reasons or there was just nothing to think. Frankly, it didn't matter. The hush felt appropriate.

We traveled the rest of the day and all night. By the time morning peeked through the clouds, we were in upper Oregon. _We shall rest, now. _Sam ordered.

_I'll stay awake and keep guard, _I told him. He looked about ready to protest when I gave him a look so threatening that he simply nodded.

_If you get tired, just wake me up, Kevin._

The minds clicked off one-by-one. For the most part, I watched Seth. In his sleep, he whimpered. His cheeks were also stained by tears at the loss of our dear Leah.

Leah. The thought of her name brought dry tears to my eyes, a lump in my throat, a burn in my belly and hole in my chest. I cried silently and watched the sun rising. Tomorrow, we'd be in La Push. The sun wouldn't shine there. I would be able to decide what to do now. Hunt Felix or simply concentrate on breathing – both options seemed time consuming.

_Kevin? _Jacob startled me as he walked up to me, silent.

_What do you want?_

_ I want to apologize. _

My eyes iced over and I glared at him. _You knew this was going to happen. Alice saw it, didn't she? _

_ Alice's powers are subjected, _he explained. _She can't really see us werewolves. She obviously saw the Volturi's fate and Leah's was just mixed in with it. _

_ Why didn't you tell me?_

_ She told you too much, to be honest. But you know why we didn't tell you. Kevin, if you'd known going into the battle, you would've stopped it and ruined any visible future we might have. _

I shook my head. _Her life was worth it. She didn't die yesterday. I died. I died yesterday and now I'm broken beyond repair… just like that tree. _That poor, innocent tree I'd torn up.

_Kevin, I don't know what I can say to make you feel better. Possibly nothing. _I nodded at this statement. _But I want to tell you one thing. Having full access to her every thought wasn't exactly a pleasant thing. If I learned one thing over the last few months, it was that she loved you. She loved you more than herself, Kevin. She put her life in your hands. I know she did the right thing by doing so, and I want you to know that I trust you, Kevin. Whatever decision you make from here on out, you will have the Black Pack on your side. _

Somehow I managed to produce tears. _Thanks, Jacob. You're a good pal, ya know. I wish I could've been a part of your family. _

_You are and always will be Kevin. You carry Leah's spirit with you. As long as we shall remember and honor her life – which will be always – you will be a member of our family. _He placed his nose against my forehead, standing up. _I'm going to keep watch. You sleep. Don't object. I'm ordering you to sleep._

The weariness from the running, the fighting, and the death had finally caught up to me. I was exhausted. _Thank you, Jacob. _I took a few strides away from the central pack into the forest where I felt a little privacy before curling up into a tight ball. Hopefully I could escape this nightmare now.

Wrong. My dreams were haunted. I saw Leah dying again and again, her last words ringing in my ears incessantly. I wish I could forget, but dreaded doing so at the same time. I simply watched her, admiring the shimmer of her fur once and the glow of her eyes another time. Every time I watched her die, she took yet another piece of me with her. By the time I woke up, I was practically all fur and bone.

By noon the next day, I walked into my house. Mom and Dad were waiting for me. When they saw Jacob and Seth follow me in, they asked what was going on. Dad already had a pale look on his face. He knew people had died… but he was wrong. A person had died. A very important person.

Struggling against the wetness in my eyes, I thought of how to speak. After drinking a large amount at a river, I was feeling a hint better. "Something has happened." I said. "I need to walk Seth and Jacob home. I have some… news… that I'd like to tell them myself."

"What happened?" my dad repeated anxiously.

After I didn't respond, Jacob placed his hand on my shoulder. "Seth and I will be waiting in the forest," he muttered. "Take all the time you need."

They left, giving me privacy. Now I couldn't help as emotion crossed my face. I stood motionlessly in front of my parents, head bowed as I tried my best not to let the liquid leave my eyes. Mom wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her. I hugged her back so tightly that I nearly crushed her. Inhaling her scent, I found little comfort as I had back when I was a little kid.

Those days seemed so simple now.

"Kevin, tell us," Mom insisted.

I pulled away solemnly. "…Leah…" now it hurt to speak her name. It felt like I was breathing a flame. "…is…." I gulped. "Dead."

Mom gasped in shock. Dad was numb, staring at me with a gaping mouth, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Before they could ask, I answered as truthfully as I could. "We were on a cliff… overlooking a rocky bay… and then… the earth started… breaking… and…" I struggled. My ability to speak was draining slowly. "And… we… ran… but… something… attacked… and she was… pushed onto… crumbling… earth… End of story." I wish it were only that simple. How I longed to confide about the deep, stabbing, mortifying pain. The emptiness, the loneliness, the loss of purpose I was feeling.

Mom cupped her hands around her mouth. Dad was frozen. I couldn't stand being in this room any longer. When I spoke, my voice had rose and octave. "And now I'm… going to… tell Sue. Bye…" I pushed my way out, letting the tears fall. Better get them out.

Seth and Jacob were waiting as they'd promised. Jacob gave me a pat on the back as we began walking to Charlie's house.

By the time we got there it was nearly dark. Seth walked in, followed by me and Jacob. Sue and Charlie were watching TV on the couch, completely unaware of the catastrophe that had taken place.

"Seth, you're back! And Kevin…" Sue's voice faltered as she saw me. "And Jacob. Fancy seeing you here. Where's Leah?"

Her question hung in the air. Thankfully, I was dehydrated enough so I couldn't cry. I'd done enough of that for a life time. Seth decided that since I'd done it at home and Jake was going to have to tell the Cullen's that it was his stand. "Leah… had… an accident." He gulped. I couldn't help wondering how strong his feelings for Leah were compared to mine. "She won't be… coming home… ever."

The look that crossed Sue's face was nearly as horrible as watching Leah die – again. It only became worse as that sorrow turned to anger – directed straight at me. "You!" she hissed. "You were supposed to love and protect her!" she was off the couch, finger straight at me.

"Trust me," I growled. "There is absolutely nothing you can say to me that is worse than what I've been telling myself for the last two days."

"What happened? How did you fail?" she demanded.

I glared with eyes ominously dry. "I tried to save her, I really did! We were at the edge of the cliff. The rocks began to crumble. I told her to run. We made it to safety and were about to search for Sam when he – Felix – appeared out of nowhere…" now that I'd gotten over my angry defiance, the emotions were as raw as new once again. "He punched me in my muzzle. The next thing I knew he'd kicked Leah back onto the crumbling ground. I could do nothing!" It was all I could do to stay on my feet. "I could do _nothing!"_

Sue was crying, more vulnerable than I'd ever seen her. "You could've done something," she bet with a growl.

"Yes, I could've died with her. I wish I'd done that, but I didn't. Instead I chased that…" I caught my language, "leech and chased him over the edge of a cliff." The pain trembled through me again. I would hunt down that ass and kill him. And eat him.

"He did all he could do," Seth insisted, taking my side. "If Kevin had done anymore he'd be decomposed and rotting by now. But he promised Leah he'd try to move on… so that's what he's going to do. Right, Kevin?"

"Yes." I regretted every stupid word of that promise, too.

Charlie comforted Sue. We bid them a goodbye. Jacob and I went our separate ways. I arrived home to find completely sympathetic parents. When asked how they could help, I told them I just wanted to be left alone. After drinking a large portion of water, that's exactly what I did. I went to my room.

My door closed tightly and quietly. Gently, I turned. Alone. I could do whatever I wanted now – cry and grieve. But now I didn't feel like that. I felt like doing nothing. I couldn't sleep; that would bring nightmares. I couldn't think; that'd antagonize me. What could I do?

As I sat on my bed, I caught a whiff of a scent I didn't expect to find. While it was old and stale, it brought butterflies into my stomach. Taking a large, intoxicating breath, my head bolted to the side.

In the farthest corner of my room were two stuffed animals. One tan wolf. One silver wolf. I walked over, picking up each in turn. The silver one came second. I held it up to my nose, inhaling it deeply with tears coming down hard. I took it and hugged it tightly to my chest for a long, endless moment.

When I opened my eyes, I found a piece of paper on the floor. It was wet with the tears I'd carelessly let drip onto it. Picking it up as if it were a thousand year old document, I read what it said.

Kevin,

If you're reading this note I'm afraid Alice's vision has come true… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not telling you and putting you in this position-I pray you can forgive me. I never meant for it to end this way. Sometimes the future chooses you.

I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't accept it. You would've tried to change fate. That may have resulted in your own death… a thought I never want to merely imagine let alone have Alice foresee. By now, Jake has probably explained all this… but I thought you'd like to have something to remember me by.

You know I would never ask too much of you, so I plea that you pay heed to my final requests.

First, don't do anything stupid. Or reckless. Or anything I wouldn't approve of. I know you have common sense-use it.

Second, take care of Seth and Jake. They're as annoying as hell but if you get to know them they're really just some great guys.

Third, live. Just because I'm not visible doesn't mean I want you to grieve the rest of your life. Live life to its fullest. Live the life I would want you to live. Live the life you would want me to live if our positions were reversed.

Fourth, hunt down that son of a bitch and tear him to shreds for me, will you? It'd just make me feel better and it may give you the boost you need to move on.

Finally, remember, I love you.

Remember these last requests of mine. I'm always with you Kevin, I'll be by your side in the hardest of times and on top of every mountain you will climb. But most importantly, I'll be in your heart.

You're the only one who ever touched my heart. Live well, live happy, live fully.

I love you, Kevin,

Leah.

I struggled to keep the paper dry, away from the tears. While I grasped it gently, I was also holding it like a lifeline. I refused to let the small sobs escape me. "Leah…" I whispered. "If only I could've written you a letter…" I glanced to the empty space beside my bed on which I sat. _"I'll be at your side in the hardest of times…" _I quoted her words as I stared at the spot deadly.

Then I knew what I had to do – to make me feel a little bit better.

Taking out a pen and a neat sheet of paper, I began to write.

Dear Leah,

You probably think I'm a weirdo just for writing to you. Right now I'm calling myself somewhere near insane. But if this will make me feel better… I'll take a shot at it.

To begin, I forgive you. You'd have to put me through much worse for me not to, you should know that much. I mean… you're dead, right? And that's like the ultimate sacrifice so…

I promise to try to do everything you ask of me. I'll use common sense; I'll care for your family-my family now. While I don't think I'll do too good at it, I'll live for both of us. I promise to give it my best shot. I'll always think of you at my side and ask myself 'What would Leah do?' before jumping in with all four paws. I swear by my right hand. I will hunt Felix down and kill him for you. Cross my heart hope to die. He's dead. He's soooooo dead.

And I'll never forget how much I loved you.

Living without you is impossible… living for you is tolerable. I know I'm not really in the position to ask you for promises-you kinda being dead and all-but I want you to promise me a few things.

Help me out a little… right? I mean, you did leave me here without much of a warning. Just remind me that you're with me in some way. I'll probably have trouble moving on if I don't know where you are.

And if you get a chance… haunt Aro. He deserves a good spooking.

Like I said before, I'm probably crazy for writing to you, but just remember that I'm doing it anyway. That says more than anything I could express on this stupid little sheet of paper.

I love you and always will…

Kevin.

And now I was sure I was insane.

But if there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that I will live up to Leah's expectations and write to her. Writing to her felt like a great relief. It made me feel that she was still here to hear me.

Taking the note, I sealed it inside an envelope. Opening my window, I watched the wind tugging at it in my hand. After a moment, I let go. I watched as my first note to my lost Leah flew away on the wind.

Something told me that in some way she would receive it.

**Mehe. I feel like Jane. KEVIN, YOU SHALL NOW FEEL PAAAIIIINNNNN! Daw, I had awesome fonts for the notes and it didn't do it. : ( But yeah… I cried around the part where I began writing Leah's note. I think you guys'll like the next Chapter. Hehe. *plans evily* OH SHUT UP COMPUTER EVILY IS A WORD! Oh boy… I'm fighting with my computer… what's next?**

**Annnyyyywayyyy review, read, and write! That's all I have to say for now! Later bros! **


	17. Chapter 16

**My friends, as you will learn through many stories and experiences, death is a part of life. Beautiful pieces of literature have been written to prove this point. This work, fortunately, is not one of them. :P **

Part 16 – The POV of someone whom is not Kevin. :o

My body was pushed back in forth with the roiling water. I struggled to reach the surface and breathe. All I could hear in my head was the roar of the waves into my ears. The salt water stung my eyes. Suddenly, I was pushed upward with extravagant force. There was a thud and halting pain as my body hit the hard, rocky Cliffside. I moaned and felt myself phasing back into a human. If a werewolf ever felt extreme pain and was conscious to feel it, their instinct automatically turned them back.

Now I struggled stiffly, left and clinging to the rocks for dear life as the waves beneath me threatened to swallow me once again.

Somehow, I managed to get my clothes on. What a relief! That would've been embarrassing.

Now what could I do? I had to get out of here. I had to save myself. I couldn't let myself be thrown into the rocky bay. That would be suicide. To go up wasn't nearly as safe. The falling rocks were untrustworthy. I would have to move to the side.

I'd never been much a fan of rock climbing. I hated it to the bitter end. Now I swear if I ever have to look at a rock climbing wall ever again I will so much as rip off the head of whoever brought me to that cursed place!

A few minutes passed. I could see a beach just a half mile away. Great. Just great.

Two more minutes gone. Maybe I was going to make it. With this positive reinforcement, I began going faster and slightly more carelessly.

My mistake. As a long howl split the air, I lost my footing. My hand snatched the incorrect know in the wall and my foot slipped on the wet surface of the rock beneath me. Therefore, the rest of my body slipped and I flew down into the churning ocean beneath me.

Submerged once again, I prayed this time it would kill me quickly instead of letting me suffer. I struggled faintly and waited for the death I'd been promised. But it was the howl. Something about the howl told me to keep moving. I could make it. I needed to make it. That howl was the reason why.

Just as I broke surface, I heard several more howls joining the first one. Wait a second… I knew those howls! That first one was Kevin. The second loudest was Seth. The third was Sam. They were howling for me.

I was about to howl when another wave pushed me below. Crap! I had to get back to them! I shoved the water away, literally growling at it.

A minute of struggling passed. I kept bobbing up and down as if I couldn't decide where I wanted to be. I'd given up and let the waves carry me, when I felt something solid beneath my feet. _What the hell….?_

Ground! Solid ground! Somehow, I'd made it to the beach. Letting the water slowly push me up onto it, I sighed in relief as I lay at the very edge, gasping for air. The water still drifted up to me, immersing me up to my chest at most. It didn't matter. I'd made it. I was safe.

One lone howl still echoed vibrantly through the air. _Kevin…_ my thoughts were muddled with a headache. _Kevin… I'm coming…_

Then the howl ended.

_Kevin? _Where was he? I couldn't hear him! I needed to hear him! Opening my mouth to speak, I choked on water. "Kevin," I muttered under my breath. "I'm coming."

Struggling, I moved my arm so it was beneath me and slowly pushed upward. That wasn't a good idea. Werewolf strength or not, a soaking was not experience you could just walk away from. "Dammit," I sighed as I let myself down. My eyelids were slowly flickering shut. "Later…" I drifted into a deep sleep.

When I woke, there was someone with me. I didn't know who but it freaked me out at first. Letting out a grunt that was meant to be a curse, I tried to push myself up and away from him. My arms gave way and I fell back into the sand, a scowl on my face.

"Hello!" a cheery voice greeted me. My gaze flickered upward. I was wrong. It was an old woman. She was short and seemed to be drunk on smiling. What the hell did she want?

"Who are you?" I rasped.

"I'm Amy Cain," she told me. "Are you okay? You seem to have taken quite a spill there!"

"Of course I'm fine," I grumbled. What did she mean? I hadn't taken a spill. There wasn't even blood! Was there?

"That's not what Mr. Cooper told me. He said he saw you make your way out and collapse. I came to see if I could be of any assistance to you. Seeing that you're breathing was fine, I let you sleep on your own time."

"What?" I coughed. Ow. That made my chest hurt. "How long have I been here?" the words were slurred together and made me sound drunk.

"You've been sleeping for about six hours now. I've been waiting for you to wake up." Her smile widened, causing more wrinkles to crease her face.

No I needed to find out who was this Mary Poppins and what did she want from me?

"Why did you do that? I'm just going to go home, now," I grumbled as I started stretching my limbs ever so slowly.

"I'm a retired nurse. If I see a chance to help somebody, I'm all for it. I miss my job so much and helping out drownees like yourself gives one an accomplished feeling. Anyway, since my husband died, I was certain I'd have trouble living, but it has worked out splendidly enough. I still wish he were here…" she went on like this for a few more minutes.

"Okay… okay." I felt I could trust this woman… Amy. "Can you help me? I need to rest… and eat… and leave."

"Of course I can!" she trilled, practically jumping out of her skin. "Let me help you up, Dear. Oh, good heavens! I forgot to ask your name! How rude of me!" she actually sounded sorry.

With her help, I stood up straight so I towered about a foot over her. "I'm Leah… Clearwater." I said.

"What a lovely name, Leah! We'll get you back in tip-top shape in to time at all!" She took my arm and gently began leading me toward a small beach house. I followed. If I needed to get away I could always go wolf style. Otherwise I'd just stick with it. She could help me.

The house on the inside was large, roomy, and bright. Sunlight, windows, light bulbs, lamps, every sort of source you wouldn't expect to see in one place. She had a frilly white couch just when you walked in the back door off the beach. There was also a matching chair. The carpet was soft and an egg white surrounding the entire living room area including an old box set TV, the furniture, and a coffee table with sowing materials on it.

After the living room came the kitchen. Hard tile floor and granite counters. Somehow she'd painted it all to match the mood of the house – bright and welcoming. I felt like I was going to be sick. I could practically choke on all this crap!

She led me down the glowing hallway. "This is the guest room," she informed me at the first room to the right. "I find that most of my visitors prefer to have a place not hard to move around in. The guest bathroom's directly across the hall. Use anything you need! The shower, shampoo, combs…. Other stuff… it's all well stocked." She opened the curtains of the room so I could suddenly see where I was.

I was in some sort of hell.

Yellow. The room was bright yellow. The soft carpet more of a dull while the bed was neon colored. The walls were typical sun yellow. A few dressers of clothes and desks accompanied it in the room. They were white. Dammit, was it even possible to be this happy or did this lady have a mental illness?

"Thank you, Ms. Cain, I think I'll take a shower… if that's okay."

"Of course, Dear! I'll be making you something to eat. Don't fret, we'll have you all better soon enough!" she left in a quick walk, leaving me to bask in the dread of where I'd just accepted to stay. I couldn't stay! I had to go back and save Kevin from his distress at my disappearance. Tell him I wasn't dead! Tell them all. Explain how we shouldn't have jumped to conclusions just because I fell off a cliff.

By now, I was opening the bathroom door. I was blinded by the strength of the lights off the walls. No windows – thank God. But it was still too crazy for me. I turned on the shower and took off my clothes, jumping in quickly. I wasn't too self-conscious, after having nearly the entire generation of La Push boys knowing what I look like. This strangers bathroom did cause chills to ride up my spine, but my hair was stringy. My body was wasted. I couldn't make the trip home like this!

The shampoo and conditioner did wonders. By the time I finished, my short hair was perfectly smooth with no traces of salt. The warm water caused me to relax and the pain of my aching muscles to ease along with my anxiety. Opening the shower curtain, I grabbed a bright orange towel.

Tucking it around me carefully, I looked in the cupboard. Hairbrushes… hairdryers… hair ties… everything else hair… an numerous products waited there. Taking out a the brush and dryer, I started there.

The dresser had plenty of clothes to choose from. I took the simplest – a pair of plain jeans and a yellow tank top. Thankfully she had a healthy supply of those handy little over jacket things. There was a blue plaid one that I took. It probably made me look like a complete idiot but it felt natural.

Walking out into the kitchen, I saw a sandwich waiting for me. Peanut butter and jelly? That'll work. I took a bite. Whoever this stranger was, she knew how to cook; that was certain. I took a drink of milk from the large glass beside my plate, almost inhaling the whole meal in a matter of seconds.

"Good?" I was spooked when the voice came from a few feet behind me. Damn, she was quiet!

"Yes," I mumbled around the mouthful. Oops… where were my manners? "Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Cain. I'm not sure how long I can stay, though."

She took a few steps so she was right in front of me. "It's alright," she cooed. "I understand the pain."

"What?" I asked, my gaze narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"The pain of being separated from someone you love."

_Kevin._ The entire time his name had been in the back of my mind, making me anxious. Even the effects of the shower could only last so long. I trembled, gazing outside to where the sun was setting. "How long has it been since Mr. Cooper saw me wash up?" I asked.

"Only about a day and a half now," Ms. Cain answered.

A day and a half? I gulped. Heaven knows what stupid things Kevin could've done in that time! "I need to find him," I informed her blandly.

"Who, Dear?"

"Kevin. My mate, Kevin." While the word _mate _seemed odd in context, it was true. He was much more than my boyfriend but nothing like that ooey gooey romancy engaged couple crap. Ew. I shivered just at the thought of that.

She ignored the word choice. "I'm sure Kevin will be fine until you heal."

"No… no he won't. He thinks I'm dead. Dammit why did I tell him that I was going to die? I'm an idiot!" I almost punched the counter but stopped myself, realizing the only thing that would happen would be Ms. Cain would be buying a new counter and probably go into shock.

"Shhh… he knows you're alive. He'll know…" she told me.

"No, he won't." I recalled the last moments before my fall, tears beginning to form. "We were on the edge of the cliff. It started cracking. I knew I was supposed to die… but we ran and made it to safety. I told him that I was supposed to fall of that cliff and at the time I thought I would die… but it wasn't until Felix kicked me back onto the cliff that I realized my fate hadn't been changed but sealed. And now… now he's sure I'm dead."

What had I done? At this point Kevin would probably be arriving home anytime. He'd tell his parents. Then my parents. God, what would Sue do to him? Then he would go home and find my note… the note I'd left to keep him safe in my passing. I wasn't dead, though. I was alive.

But what if I was overestimating him. What if he got on perfectly fine without my crappy note? What if Sue had been right and he didn't need me like I needed him? The thought pained me so deeply that I actually began considering staying here. I bit my lip. I mean… it was just freakily happy, right?

There was still one problem. I hadn't forgotten Sam until I'd imprinted. How was I ever supposed to get over Kevin?

Maybe he would be better off if he never saw me again.

"Dear, why don't you sleep on it? It's high time you get some rest after your tumble." Her words were soothing.

"I'll do that."

Hoping to feel better, I went to the guest room and lay in the bed, closing my eyes, I fell into a quick sleep. A quick, horrifying nightmare.

I was standing in the middle of a clearing. Trees surrounded me. I remembered this place. When I was younger my family had vacationed here. We were somewhere in Montana.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from the west. Turning, I saw the large, stocky body of a man. Kevin. I turned to him and called, but he looked straight through me. I then realized he couldn't see me.

There was a backpack slung across one shoulder. He sniffed the air and set it on the ground, pulling out a small script of paper that was neatly folded. With a shiver, I realized I recognized the note. It was my note. A sole tear ran down his face accompanied by a grimace of fury. He stashed it away and threw the backpack a few feet from him. "I know you're here!" he yelled. "Come out and fight!"

Who was he looking for? Dread crept over me as I saw the sturdy body of Felix emerge from the east. There was a smirk on his face. "Come for revenge? I doubt it. If you're looking to be reunited with your pathetic excuse of a girlfriend, though, I believe I can arrange that."

Kevin trembled, a snarl escaping as he leapt. He cut straight to the chase, his clothes shredding as he became the large tan wolf I adored. His head held just below his head as he started stalking toward the vampire.

Seconds passed. Kevin aimed his first blow –a bite to the chest – but missed. Felix was already turned around. He grabbed Kevin by his tail and tossed him away like a rag doll. "Kevin!" I screamed even though he couldn't hear me. "Kevin, no!"

But the tan wolf stood and turned. I felt so guilty for the pain that was so easy to read on his face. With a roaring snarl, he dashed forward again to meet Felix. There was no way a single werewolf was going to kill a vampire of physical significance like Felix. It just wasn't possible.

Still, Kevin attacked. Felix countered once again with a punch straight into Kevin's neck. I tensed, worried that this blow had hit the wrong place, but he stood again. I could almost hear the curses and grieving he was thinking. Another strike, another blow. Kevin was sent sprawling just before me.

I gasped and caught my breath as I looked down upon the beautiful tan wolf. My hand instinctively reached up to clasp my chest. No – not my chest – my necklace. My Cullen Crest Necklace. I did this for upon Kevin's wrist – paw, if you will – was a Cullen Cuff, sported consistently by Emmett, Edward, and Jasper.

Jake must have given it to him. Once I had finally allowed shelter and food from the Cullen's, they'd offered me my Cullen Crest Necklace – a beautiful, golden necklace that presented the pendant for the Cullen family on the end. A lion, a hand, and the fancy whatchamicallits on the bottom.

This could only mean Kevin had been accepted into my pack – into my family. With Jacob connected to Renesmee the way he was, he also connected the rest of our pack to the Cullen's. I'd grown to be quite fond of the Cullen's myself.

Seeing the cuff around Kevin's wrist caused my heart to skip a beat. Now he was standing again, limping toward Felix. "Enough games, mutt," Felix snarled as he opened his arms in preparation for Kevin. "Let's finish this off."

With a snarl, Kevin sprang toward Felix. His teeth just closed around the vampire's head as I saw Felix's arms embrace his large, fuzzy neck. "Kevin!" I screamed. _Crack! Crack! Crack!_

"Leah, Leah? Leah, wake up!"

I blinked. Ms. Cain was standing over me. I was on the bed. Sunlight filtered inside through a window. A dream… it was just a dream.

"Hi…" I said shakily. My breath was coming fast.

"Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep!" she anxiously looked me over.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I disturbed you… I promise I'll leave soon." I brushed my hand up into my forehead, tangling it in my hair.

"Take all the time you need. It's nice to have company," she cooed as she walked toward the door. She glanced back in concern one more time before leaving.

Letting my composure break, I slipped underneath the covers of the bed. I let them cast shadows over my body so the light didn't reach me. It had only been a nightmare, but something told me that could very well be the future. The sight of the Cullen Cuff around his wrist just made me even more certain that this was true.

Pushing my blankets off me, I walked over to the window and opened it, taking a deep breath of the morning air. I sighed and rested my chin on my hands which were set on the edge of the window. Wind buffeted my black hair, sending it whooshing back. If only I had some other sign.

As if on command, a small disturbance in my vision caught my gaze. No, it was a disturbance; it was something flying on the wind! A piece of paper. An envelope? Why was there an envelope out here in the middle of nowhere?

I was about to turn away and forget this insignificant detail when my nostrils flared at a scent. My head bolted back to the approaching envelope, the fragrance becoming more potent every second.

Finally, it landed at my fingertips. Ripping it open, I read what it said.

It was Kevin. God knows how but somehow Kevin had gotten a message to me. I read it carefully, my mouth gaping. He thought I was dead. He missed me. He was going to avenge my death…

No.

He was going to avenge my death.

He couldn't! I wasn't dead, he would die! Only pausing to change into my clothes which were neatly folded at the edge of my bed, I ran out into the living room. "I need to leave, now. I'm sorry, Ms. Cain, but something important has come up."

I needed to save my soul mate.

**Haha, as you didn't know, the entire plot for this story was around the romance. Early on I thought: Hey, what if Leah 'died'? Of course, back then I didn't have it well thought-through. This Chapter felt a little slapped together at parts. It was hard because she had to accept help but she also had to be Leah. I'm too non-Leah to be writing Leah. :P But, anyway… yup!**

**Now I'm a few Chapters behind so I may take a while before I can update again… sorry!**

**PS: I could've never really killed Leah. XD I nearly cried my eyes out in Breaking Dawn Part 2… like complete meltdown. **


	18. Chapter 17

**Okay… let's see how this works out. I was writing halfway through this and realized it didn't seem right and then thought 'screw it, it's too late now.' So if this Chapter seems a little too happy, understand I'm not too good at writing sad. :P**

Part 17 Kevin

A shirt. Several pairs of shorts. Socks. All the shoes that could fit. A water bottle.

I packed all these items into my backpack as I kneeled in front of my bed. I currently wore an old, worn red shirt with khaki shorts that weren't worth much. My regular everyday shoes felt out of place for the occasion.

"It's time, Kevin." My dad's voice came from the doorway of my room. My gaze flickered up for a split second to see him. He was dressed in a nice suit,black. Dress shoes. Stuff you would wear to a funeral.

That's why I felt so out of place. "I'll be out in a minute." My voice was hoarse. I needed to finish my packing.

Once his footsteps faded to the end of the hall, I turned to my dresser door and opened the bottommost one. Ever so carefully, I removed the stuffed silver wolf and the note. Gingerly, I added them into my bag.

Walking out, I found my mom looking just as well for the occasion as my father. "Okay, let's get this over with," I sighed. I didn't cry. I didn't whine. I'd long gotten over all those emotions. It was all more numb now.

Mom eyed me judgingly. "You're wearing _that?"_

"Yes." It would be hard to hunt Felix in a tux.

"Remember, dear? He has to go out on that trip," Dad reasoned for me.

What was going on? Well, my parents were taking me (or I was taking them, more or less) to a clearing in the middle of the forest in Cullen territory. Everyone would be there – Cullen, Uley, Black, or elsewise. If they'd been in the pack they'd be paying their respects. This particular ceremony was the one for a deceased imprintee. After the service, I would regally leave and hunt Felix. If the imprintee was killed by someone, this was how most of the events ended.

The drive around Fork's was slow and silent. I was lost in thought – imagining seeing all my brothers. Since non-believers (including my mom and several other parents) would be present, none of us were allowed to phase.

My family was one of the first – only after Sue, Charlie, Sam, Emily, Jacob, and Seth. They were dressed formally. I felt truly rotten. Sue giving me the evil-eye didn't help.

Brady and Quil arrived together, Brady's family not wishing to attend. They were followed by Embry, Tony, Cohl, and the rest of the pack all spread out around about 20 minutes. The Cullen's showed up, but kept their distance until I insisted they join in with everyone else.

The first event was a gathering around a small bonfire where the Legends of our tribe would be told. While the pack members and most of the parents looked upon it with great respect – my dad with fascination – everyone else just thought of it as a humorous story to begin the day.

Once Billy – Jake's dad – had finished this telling, a list of all the memorable things we'd never forget about Leah. I was to read these off. Standing in front of everyone, I read off a long list. Her being not only an imprintee but a member of the pack, it was quite lengthy.

"Probably the first thing we'll think about when we think of Leah is stubbornness. She had many traits, yes, but her opinion always made her who she was." I couldn't help smiling as I read this. How true it was! "If she didn't like something, she'd give you a whole mindful about it and nothing less. While this wasn't quite the best of traits to have, it made Leah the girl we all came to love and respect in our own ways.

"Next to her obduracy, though, Leah was the most courageous member our pack ever had." I choked up as I read ahead. "While she knew what was to happen that fateful day along the Cliffside, it didn't stop her from jumping to meet her fate with all four paws. She would tear your head off if you told her that she couldn't do something – or mentally torcher you. Either of the two, you could rely on her to keep her word thought both of these actions."

The list went on a while more, causing some of the parents to wonder what kind of demented person Leah had been and wonder what it was with all the trust and leech and future-seeing references; not to mention the 'she felt this about this' sections.

After a good few hours of that, we all shared random stories about Leah that we remembered. Most were fights we'd had with her or complications she'd helped us out of. Rosalie even gave a little piece about how she empathized with Leah… leaving out the gory parts so only the pack members would understand. We didn't like it but it wasn't all that bad unless our parents asked us what she meant by that.

Edward told of Leah and how her mind had worked. Bella spoke of how she'd grown to respect Leah. Even Jasper tribute how she'd been polite enough to keep her mood mild when he was around him. As I've said before, only half the people understood what they were talking about.

The next – and most awkward part – came when it was time for people to give their perspectives on the imprinter's relationship with the imprintee. Just my luck, Paul was the first one to go up.

"So ya know little Kevin over here comes up to us and says 'I imprinted on Leah Clearwater.'. I, of course, was brutally shocked along with every single other pack member. I mean, we were all like, 'What the hell, Kevin? Can't you at least keep it inside Treaty lines?' I personally was more going on with 'Damn, dude, you fall for the first girl that looks at you!' But it turns out they actually made a good couple… and I don't say that because he almost ripped my throat out when I thought otherwise." Paul left with a roll of his eyes. Many people laughed. My mom stared at me blankly. I shrugged.

Sam spoke next. "Leah was a very important person. Before I met her cousin and my fiancée – Emily – I dated Leah for quite some time. After my first weeks of phasing and my imprinting when I realized what had happened, I swear I couldn't have felt more rotten. I loved Leah in the way all of us love Leah deep, deep down." He gulped. "When she started phasing and things got complicated, I only wished she could be happy like I was. I had forgotten how much pain leaving her had put me through, but she still felt it. I wished more than anything she could imprint if it was possible.

"We'd all nearly given up hope when this little fur ball came along and proved us wrong!" he gave me a sly look that was so uncharacteristic for Sam that I became worried. "He made Leah happy and therefore that made all of us happy. I simply wish Leah's happily ever after could've lasted longer. Today, as some of you who aren't familiar with these ceremonies, we don't mourn Leah's death as much as we celebrate her life. For Kevin's peace of mind and therefore all of ours as well. I commit this day to Leah! She will always have a special place in all our hearts."

Cohl decided to take a swing at it. "So here I was, trapped in a closet just after my first phase and Kevin's trying to tell me what he's going to do to get me out without the entire school seeing me naked-" he said at one point. My mom and dad both stared at me for the remainder of Cohl's speech. I tuned back into him. "Well, Kevin's going on about how there are two packs and I'm in the Uley Pack but the Black Pack are our friends and enemies so we'd get their help. Well, at one point, he mentions 'a very special wolf from the Black Pack.' Of course this got my attention so I asked who. He answered me plainly 'Leah Clearwater, the only girl to ever phase.'

"Well, of course, I was awestruck. A unique girl?" he whistled mockingly. "I said I'd like a shot at her. But Kevin got all defensive. He goes, 'She's MINE! You got that, Leah's mine! Go find your own girl to imprint on!'" Cohl turned to me. "While that hasn't happened yet, I'm sure it's my turn soon enough."

The evening was drawing to a close. Now it was my turn. I decided that while I was celebrating instead of mourning, I'd better enjoy my time. Doing so, I cleared my throat and began.

"For those of you who don't know, I'm Kevin Clark, Leah's imprinter and imprintee. I guess it goes both ways." I chuckled lightly before coughing and continuing. "I met Leah while running a border when Sam was having a meeting with Jacob over the Treaty. At first, I wasn't sure what had happened. All I knew was that I'd met this girl, felt weird, and she had this look in her eyes that told me she felt the same way I was feeling." That little detail sent me back a little ways in my celebrating. "I didn't know who she was but I knew she was important. I mean… how many times in your life do you find somebody you trust before you know who they are?" my gaze wandered around the group surrounding me. "How often can you look into the eyes of a stranger and say, 'Of course I'll come with you! Just tell me where we're going and what's your name?'? I'm only 17, but I know it's not that common an occurrence." My eyes wandered to the Cullen's. They were all googly-eyeing their spouses, especially Alice and Jasper. I ran over their backstory in my head which made that seem clear enough.

"With that in mind, I'd like to pay a special thank you to Jake and Sam," now it was getting to the time I would leave. I should start preparing for the mood I would leave in – bloodthirsty and solemn. Vengeful. "They bent the Treaty Lines and all… and to The Black Pack/Cullen Coven in general. Without them I wouldn't have had the precious little time I did have with Leah. They opened their world to me and I hate to think I stepped in selfishly." My eyes wandered closer over the Cullen's who stood with Jacob and Seth. _Thank you… so much. I wish I could tell you how much I owe you… _

My gaze stopped dead at Edward who was giving me a look. He nodded to me. They knew. That was good to know. I saw his lips twitch in a smile as he shook his head and turned to Bella.

Ending my telepathic conversation that left an awkward gap in my speech, I continued in a raspy voice. "I regret to say I was there when Leah… died. I saw her personally fall over the cliff. There was nothing that I could do."

Sue was more interested now. It was rules at the ceremony that I had to go over a full description of what had happened with no twists. Well, here goes nothing. A bunch of kids later telling their parents that it was all just a bunch of crap they'd come up with. Imprinting, please! You can't be serious.

"The fight had just begun. Leah had snapped Jane's head off for me. I told her we'd better go find out where Sam, Jarod and Paul were being kept. It was at the edge of the Cliffside because if the battle grew against their favor, Aro planned to throw them over and henceforth make our struggles worthless.

"Leah and I had just reached the edge of the cliff and were overlooking the rocky bay. The ground began cracking beneath us. We were too heavy and it must have been an outcropping of some sort. I yelled at Leah to run. Had to practically drag her by her scruff away, but we made it to safety. She was shocked. I asked her why and she told me that Alice had seen her dying at the edge of the cliff.

"That of course made me angry she hadn't told me, but I just said we had to go find Sam." My voice cracked. My throat was getting tighter. No matter how many times I told the story, it only seemed to get worse. "Before we could take another stride into the stable land, Felix was in front of us. For those of you who know Felix, his power is strength. He's one of the strongest fighters Aro's got. It's nearly impossible to beat him in a battle." I bared my teeth. "But that's just talking about the leeches-" _no offense, Edward, _"-themselves. I'd like to see him put up to a full grown wolf and stand his ground! I was about to rip his forsaken head off when he punched me, straight in my muzzle.

"I fell back onto the ground. By the time I'd blinked again, Leah was rushing forward to avenge my pain. Felix whirled around on her with amazing speed and gave her a kick that sent her flying at least ten feet back." I shuddered. "It was astonishing to see such a large creature thrown like a rag doll. I think the only reason I went back so less was because I'm a deal bulkier. But I'd hardly stood up when the ground gave way underneath Leah's lying form. She shot me a panicked glance and I knew that what Alice had foreseen hadn't been avoided, but only completed. Leah was gone.

"Before anything, I turned to Felix. He was proud – at first at least. When I began spouting full-wolf in his direction he figured that he'd done something inexcusable and began running in the proper manner which was called for. I chased him a few miles until we reached the Cliffside in which he jumped. All I saw was the foam where he got away safely into the water."

That was where I would end. I wouldn't mention the howl… or the tree. I couldn't really clearly say how I'd ripped a tree to shreds. Or knocked down several others. It would be too much that could be waved aside like stupid fairytales to all the parents. Besides, that's where the story ended.

"Now," I cleared my throat, "I'm going off to hunt that bastard. I know he got away, but I don't know where. I'll begin by following his trail along the Cliffside to see if I can find a cut-off place." I glanced at Edward. He confirmed what I was about to do. "Now I ask from the humans and leeches a moment of silence as we hold a traditional moment of respect for Leah." My eyes flickered around. Jake, Seth, Jarod, Paul, Quil, Tony, Collin, Brady, Embry, Cohl, and all my other countless brothers in front of me. They nodded consent and waited for me.

Lifting my head stiffly in awkwardness, I let out a long howl. Considering I was in my human form, it was a pretty damn good howl. Many human heads shot up. Many vampires flinched slightly in vampire-flinching ways. The rest of the wolves present joined me.

**A sudden switch to the POV of someone who's not Kevin. :o**

My paws thudded against the cold hard ground. My breath came in heaving pants. I couldn't slow down. I couldn't pause for water or food or anything. I had to keep running – sprinting, I meant – and I had to get there before it ended.

Get where before what ended? The ceremony. The damned ceremony in which Kevin would leave to avenge my death and find his own. The thought made my paws fly faster; hardly touching the ground if that was even possible.

I coughed lightly as I sniffed the air. Where was I? I must be somewhere in Washington by now. I'd been dead-on running all day. When we'd run to here it'd taken two days of leisurely jogging. A one day sprint to save the love of your life shouldn't be too hard, right?

It's harder than you could ever imagine. Every second was spent thinking it would be ending soon. Every tenth of a second was spent cursing that note. Every hundredth of a second was spent praying he wouldn't leave too soon. Every thousandth of a second was spent worrying that he'd already gone.

_Kevin, don't go! _I cried uselessly once again. I guess it made me feel better… thinking that in some supernatural way he would receive my silent message. What I hated most about these Imprintee mourning rituals was the no-phasing rule. Dammit, why couldn't they phase and see I'm right here?!

Suddenly, a howl erupted from the air. My heart thudded faster if it was possible. _Kevin… Kevin! I'm almost there! _

Whether my dream the other night had been the future or just some freaky possibility, I didn't want to risk it. The Cullen Cuff around his wrist made me believe that it was the future. Why? I'd discussed giving him one with Jake and Seth. They'd said in time.

Time had come.

More howls joined the first one. I wished I could howl back, but my lungs were aching as they were without air. I couldn't risk that.

_One more moment and I'll be there… Kevin. Don't leave. Don't leave._

**Back to the POV of Kevin.**

Ending the howl, I walked over to where the Cullen's stood, shaking the hand or such of every pack member of mine on the way. It was so quiet I could hear the crunch of every step I took. When I did reach the group, I couldn't help a small smile. They were a good bunch. I can't imagine why any member of my pack ever wanted to kill them.

Esme was there first. She wrapped me in a chilling hug as if I were one of her own blood. "Good bye, Kevin. It's been nice having you in the family."

"It's been nice knowing you, Esme." I returned the hug lightly. I could help my smile widen. She was hugging me so hard it was hard to breathe. "And don't forget your human habits." Her grip lightened.

Emmett patted my back. "Ya ever need a hand beatin' up the Volturi, just give us a holler." He winked and punched his fist against his hand.

"Emmett, we don't want to get involved with them again," Rosalie complained. I could hear that she didn't mean a word of it.

He shrugged.

Alice also gave me a hug. Jasper stood a few feet away, watching me with appraising eyes. I shrugged at him as Alice took a step back. "I'm sorry this happened… and that I can't see your future, but I'm sure it'll be great."

Sensing her mood –whatever it was – Jasper took her from me and wrapped her in a tight, loving hug that made me feel like my heart had been ripped in half. "It's okay, Ali. None of this is your fault. Everything will be better soon." He continued on, his voice getting lower so I couldn't hear it. He shot me a quick look of farewell before he returned to Alice.

Edward, Bella, and Renesmee stood next in line. Renesmee was up to my waist. Bella had her hand over her back while Edward had his body in whole glued to Bella's side. I gave Edward a nod of appreciation. _You'll take care of Jake and Seth?_

"Yes," he answered. His eyes clouded over with some memory. "And Kevin, I emphasize with you. When I thought Bella was dead… that was the hardest time in my 110 years. But do remember… no matter what happens she'll be with you. I forgot that detail and almost ended up killing us both."

_I will. _This telepathic vampire thing sure did come in handy when I didn't feel like talking.

"Be safe," Bella said simply.

"Bye, Kevin." Renesmee's sweet voice made me smile. She could brighten the mood nearly anywhere. I bent down to my knees to pay her a proper good-bye. She held out her hand to touch my cheek.

I saw a picture of the Volturi in black cloaks walking across a snow-studded field. Renesmee was hiding with Jacob. Leah was about ready to dart out and snap them to pieces – an image so fitting Leah's personality it broke my heart yet again.

Then it was Leah pacing in the house, whimpering to herself as Jake and Seth yelled at her; more or less Jake. Then I appeared in Leah's hand. She smiled at me. I didn't remember seeing her smile like that. It astounded me I hadn't realized it.

The next image I hadn't seen before.

It was Alice. She was standing stiff. Her gaze flickered to Edward who was frozen, then to Jake, Leah, and Seth standing around. "What is it, Alice?" Jake demanded. "What did you see?"

"The fight with the Volturi…" she glanced at Edward, obviously asking him something.

"They'll be able to handle it," he assured her.

"Leah's going to fall over a cliff." Alice answered.

Seth yipped. Jacob snarled. Leah was silent, lost in thought.

"Well?" Jacob growled. "Will she get back up?"

"No." Edward answered.

"We can't let this happen!" Seth insisted. "We need to tell Kevin-"

"No!" Leah hissed. "We can't! Kevin will try to stop it and more people might die. We can't risk it. If it's me, then so be it!"

"Leah-"

"Shut it, Jake." She snapped.

Renesmee's face greeted me as she took her hand from my cheek. I realized this was her own odd way of saying goodbye.

"I'll miss you too, Nessie." I smiled. Bella growled, but I ignored her. Wrapping the tiny little hybrid in a wolf hug, I stepped back and glanced in the direction of nowhere.

Jacob and Seth approached me from behind. "Kevin," I turned. Oh, Carlisle was there, too. "We have a parting gift we believe you deserve."

Carlisle pushed them aside gently, a calm, collective look on his face. "Kevin, it's been an honor having you in our family. We wish – if you feel like it – you would accept this gift." He held out a trinket. No – I was mistaken. Not just a trinket, a Cullen Cuff.

Taking it in my hand, my index finger traced the Cullen Crest on it. I vaguely remember seeing Leah wear the same pendant as a necklace. Seth and Jacob (and Emmett and Jasper and Edward) all sported the cuff now, as I realized. Carlisle had a ring on. I understood. They were accepting me as one of them. That was the best gift I could've ever received.

I clipped it around my right hand and stared at the lion, the hand, and the trefoil all in wonder. "Thank you," I finally sputtered out. "This is so…" I didn't finish. Carlisle nodded. He understood.

Silence had befallen again. I'd already said good bye to my family. To Brady, Tony, Collin and Cohl. To Sam. To nearly everybody that mattered. Now it was time to go hunt.

I stood at the edge of the group, staring into the forest beyond the small clearing where I would begin. I was about to move – to run and collect my revenge – when I heard Seth gasp.

All eyes turned to him. His pupils were dilated and his mouth gaping. He shook himself out of this trance and sniffed the air. "What is it, Seth?" Jacob asked.

"I… I smell…"

He didn't need to finish his sentence. Now I hoped that he wasn't crazy. My heart thudded faster than a train in my chest. I stalked forward a few paces to stare harshly into the wind. I inhaled deeply. If Seth could smell it that didn't mean it should be long before…

I smelled it. "Leah…" I breathed. Straining my ears, I heard the thump of wolf pawsteps. They changed to light trots as her scent became more distinct.

"Leah!" I sprinted in the direction which I could smell her. If Seth smelt it as well I couldn't be imagining it. It was impossible! After all… Alice had only seen Leah fall off. She hadn't seen her body or anything, right?

A faint cry seemed to answer me. Forgetting about human restrictions, I let the wolf in my human body take over. My speed increased so I heard my mother gasp. My dad chuckled. "Leah?"

Now I was certain I heard a reply. A flash of black caught my eye. I was thrown to the ground, the air knocked out of me. What the-?

"Umph!" I heard someone grunt as they were thrown down a few feet away from me. That smell… I couldn't take it anymore. Without waiting to blink or see who it was, I lunged forward and caught the person in my arms.

Only then did I blink to find who I'd been looking for. Leah. Repositioning my arms in a more comfortable manner (now that I was sure she wasn't about to get away from me) I held my right arm around behind her shoulders. My left arm wrapped around her form, pulling her up to me where I sat in a kneeling position on the ground. "Leah!" I exclaimed in a whisper.

It took her a moment to find out what had happened. Once she did, a look of relief and much more crossed her face. "Kevin! You're alive!" Forgetting that I already had her in my arms, she broke away from me and embraced me tightly around my neck.

Hesitating, I retook her by squeezing her as tight as I could. "Never…... Again… Never…" I tried to speak complete sentences; I gave up to my stammering lines. "Never."

"Never," she promised with a light laugh. I ignored it. Pushing my nose into the hair around the back of her head, I inhaled deeply. I could feel her heart racing and breathing coming fast. She smelled sweaty and messy and looked like a complete mess. The tank top she wore was covered in dirt and almost too thin. Her shorts were ripped around the edges and she must have forgotten her shoes somewhere, but it didn't matter. All that did matter was that she was here and I was in her arms. No one else.

For a moment, we sat there. I'd managed to contain a pretty good composure the whole time. I mean, I'd cried when I thought she was gone. She was here; there was no reason to cry.

She couldn't say as much. Tears were down her face, I realized as I backed away to look at her. "Hey, Leah, it's fine. I'm here… it's fine."

"No… it's not." Her voice trembled as much as her body was. She shook her head vigorously. "I saw you dead. You died. Felix won… it wasn't okay."

"What?"

"A nightmare. I had a nightmare. You hunted Felix and he won. Just… don't. Don't leave."

"I won't."

I stood up, taking her with me. She hung off the ground by my arms under her shoulders. "Come on, Leah," I urged. "We've got about 50 people watching who thought you were dead."

She looked about ready to complain when I kissed her and continued. "I swear I'll be with you all night." As if I would let her leave my line of sight ever again.

With a nod from her, I began leading her over to where the group was celebrating. Well… humans were staring, werewolves were howling, and vampires were partying internally. I could tell because Jasper looked about ready to explode with excitement (poor guy) and Edward was cuffing his ears like it would help.

Jacob and Seth met us first. "Leah!" Seth cried and threw himself at both of us. Leah almost fell over after what must have been a long run, but I held her up like a girl would if she were playing with her doll.

Sue and Charlie were quickly swarming us with my parents. Then the Cullen's and the werewolves. It was quite a happy moment for me. I gave Leah all the water from my backpack that I'd prepared.

"Kevin… it's getting late." My mom was right. By this time almost everyone had left and it was nearly pitch black. Leah, Jacob, Seth, Sue, Charlie, and my parents were the only ones remaining.

"Yeah?" I asked. Leah was half-asleep at my side where she'd been all the time. I'd promised her I wouldn't leave. I was going to stick to my word.

"Leah needs to get home."

"Then I'll go with her."

"Kevin-"

"Mom."

She glared at me before Dad interfered. He knew how much this meant to me. "We should let Sue and Charlie watch them for the night. I don't think Kevin's willing to leave her side quite yet." Besides, the two of them would have an easier time letting me not leave.

"Well… even if that was a possibility we can't invite Kevin to stay at their house…" Mom argued.

"We'd be delighted to allow Kevin over," Sue broke in, scaring almost everyone except me out of our pelts.

"Then it's settled." I stated.

"There's not much room in the car. I'll run to the Cullen's place so you guys don't have to bother." With his mind made up, Jacob turned and started running. My mom stared after him in bewilderment.

"Okay. Kevin, Leah, Seth, back seat." Sue ordered with a fluttering wave to my parents.

In a few minutes, we were on our way to Charlie's house. By the time we got there, Leah was sound asleep with her head on my shoulders. She snored so quietly I could hardly hear it. Unbuckling both myself and Leah, I took her in my arms and carried her upstairs to her room.

I set her on her bed and covered her gently with blankets. Then I settled back to watch my Leah sleep. She was alive. She was here. She was with me.

The door crept open. Sue. "Are you just going to stay there then…"

"Yes." I answered definitely.

"What are you going to do?"

Tearing my shirt in half, I walked over to the corner. "Wipe this area down. It still reeks like leeches. And then I'm going to watch her sleep."

For some odd reason, she must have trusted me. The door closed and the house was silent. Now I could be here with Leah just as I'd dreamed about in the hundred times since she'd left.

"Kevin?" after about ten minutes of scrubbing, I heard her summon me.

"Yes?"

"You're here."

"Yes." I couldn't help a tender smile as I walked back to her side. She was so groggy I felt like I was talking to someone on drugs.

Her hand reached out and grabbed my hand. She pulled it closer. "Don't leave."

"I'm not."

After a few more minutes, I figured she had fallen asleep again. She held my hand tightly. I didn't move or breathe in any way that risked waking her.

She was my Leah and I was going to stay here with her.

Forever.

**Wow. I just read over that and it's not as bad as I feared. Okay… this is not the end yet but I've been debating for weeks what to right in the Epilogue. Anyone got any ideas? Please, TELL ME! XD I'm completely at loss for what to write there. If you have a specific scene for the epilogue you want to see (maybe a proposal or something… a fast forward to a hundred years later… I don't know) please mention it in your reviews.**

**And speaking of a hundred years later… I got a sequel started. If any of you are tired hanging around here I'd understand but I'm not quite ready to ditch Kevin. ;) Until next time! **


	19. Epilogue

**Don't cry… it's not the end. XD Just a proposal scheme. This took some time and was weird. The only proposals I've ever written had to do with Alice and Jasper (/coughcough/hint hint /coughcough/ XD). But the hardest part about this was that all the other proposals I've written (Alice and Jasper /coughcough/) are worth an M rating. I've only posted one… but that's beside the point. So… the mission here… keep it T. Anyway… enjoy this last part to the Kevin X Leah plotline. :D And yes, I took about half an hour to come up with a ring and whatever Leah was wearing each. xP **

Kevin Epilogue

**Kevin's POV**

_(3 Years Later…)_

_So you really gonna do it?_

_ Yes._

_ Aren't you afraid?_

_ Why would I be?_

Brady stopped in mid-run to stare at me like I was crazy. His ash-brown fur was risen as he thought about the 'suicidal attempt' I was about to take.

_Let me begin… she's Leah. She's prideful, fearsome, easily aggravated, snappy Leah. While she's brave, courageous, - and pretty, I'll even admit – but she's also the most mind-speaking irritable woman or wolf I've – or anyone's – ever met. _He blinked and cocked his head to question me further. _Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with that?_

I chuckled lightly and began running. _Come on, Brady, Sam wants us to run the border; not talk about how sane I am. But, yes. I'm positive I want to spend the rest of my life with that. _I rolled my eyes. _Besides, we knew this day was coming. Considering I imprinted on her, you should've seen it coming about… three years ago. _

_I did see it coming… but not so soon…_

_ Three years. Come on, Bro! Three years! I'm finally going to do it. I'm 20 and she's an adult. We're not getting any older. Besides, I can't chicken out now. The Cullen's have already approved of it and helped me financially._

Brady didn't think anything he meant for me to hear. I laughed under my breath. Since when did proposing to Leah come as a huge shock to him? I'd only been considering it for at least the last six months.

Only three months ago had I been able to scavenge up enough money to buy an engagement ring. It was in my room at my house now – hidden at the bottom of my dresser. It had a plain silver band leading up to reveal a diamond. Several small pink diamonds were seated in a row to the left and right of the big clear diamond in the center.

_I wish you luck, Kevin, _Brady said, _wherever your life choices will lead you. I hope you'll be happy._

_ Only the happiest dog in the world… _I thought.

I held up my hand and knocked on the door of the Cullen's house. I'd hardly pulled it away when it opened to reveal Edward's stony, lithe figure. "Come in," he said in a smooth voice.

_Hey, Edward. Is-_

"Yes."

_Where-_

"Her room."

Without waiting for another word, I began to walk to the stairs.

"And, Kevin," he stopped me at the first step.

_Yes, Edward?_

"I believe it's time you stopped post-phoning the date. Leah's starting to realize something's up."

_Dammit… _

"That was just a warning. She hasn't realized yet."

I clambered upstairs, thinking rapidly. _Okay… I think I've got it. Edward, can you get a reservation and a limo? I've got a suit at home. I'll pay you later-_

"Will do, Kevin. All we want in return is Leah to be happy."

_Thank you._

Knocking on the door to Leah's room, a small 'come in' greeted me. I let myself in to see the dimly lit room with dark walls and furniture. I smiled. Just like Leah.

"Oh, hi Kevin!" she exclaimed, jumping up from whatever she'd been writing in her notebook on the floor.

"Hey, Lee," I smiled and opened my arms invitingly to her. She responded by wrapping me in a tight hug.

"What brings you around here?"

"Well, I came to tell you that we're going on a date tonight," I stated boldly. Sometimes when dealing with Leah, it was better to tell her upfront what was going on.

"Really? Where?"

"Er… it's a surprise." _Whichever restaurant Alice and Edward choose… _No doubt Edward would go straight to Alice for this stuff.

"Can I drive?"

"No," I kissed her lightly on the nose. "I promise, you're going to have a great night though."

Her arms were bent and pushing hard against my chest as she complained. "But you're driving-"

"Who said I was driving?"

Smiling, she quieted and kissed me. "Well, I'll trust that you've got everything under control, then."

I stayed over at the Cullen's house for the rest of the day until 5:00. Edward had told me we had a reservation and limo. "I'll be back at 6:45," I told Leah gently. "Wear something nice… or better yet, just ask Alice. She'll give you something striking."

Leah responded with a roll of her eyes. I laughed and jumped onto my bike to ride home. Running would make me dirty and I had to be as clean as possible for tonight.

When I got home, my parents looked up at me with confusion. I still lived with them out of my desire to later inherit the house and for the fact that I didn't have a proper job; though the Cullen's were offering me one that I had yet to accept.

I took a very good shower and was careful to scrub any traces of dirt off my skin. I brushed my teeth and put on my suit. I fussed with little things like my hair that I usually paid no heed to. Finally – once I was sure I looked impeccable – I sauntered into the living room while well aware of the ring box resting against my thigh in my pants pocket.

Dad looked up at me and broke into a wide, rare Dad smile. He was a man. He knew what was coming with this occasion. Mom, on the other hand, was unaware of my proposition. She simply grinned and said, "You look nice, Kevin."

They bade me a good night before I left in their car. The bike wouldn't have done me any good. I pulled into the Cullen's driveway, parked the car where Leah wouldn't see it, and waited for the limo. When it pulled up, I knocked on the door.

When it opened, my jaw gaped and I'm pretty sure my eyes popped out of my head.

Leah was wearing a deep burgundy dress that only stretched down to her knees. It had a deep V-neck and was tight around her hips. She wore a dark gray overcoat to protect her sleeveless arms from the spring weather of Forks. Her Cullen Crest was clearly visible on her chest between the unbuttoned folds of her coat. Her hair (longer than usual and in her opinion 'in need of a cut') was combed out perfectly straight.

I had no doubt in my mind that Alice had dressed her.

And she was so beautiful… how was I going to concentrate on anything else tonight?

She laughed at the look on my face. "Feeling okay, K?"

"Better than ever," I replied while my eyes skimmed down her body again. Oh! Burgundy… "Here!" I exclaimed and held out my arm, revealing a small bouquet of dark blue/purple roses. She'd always preferred the darker colors…

Taking the roses, she flashed me a wide smile.

I led her wordlessly to the white limo and let her get in. I followed quietly.

We made little small talk on the way to the restaurant (which I told her was a surprise). When we arrived at 7:00 exactly and walked inside, I had to admit that I was impressed. I'd been expecting something romantic and private, but nothing like this. Even with Alice and Edward planning.

The seat reserved was on a balcony overlooking the ocean (must've been near La Push) with candles for light. I took made special note to count the money I had on me before deciding what to order. Thankfully, I had enough.

"So," Leah said casually as we got our drinks, "what's the occasion?"

"Hmm, why's there have to be an occasion?" I scoffed, reading the menu more carefully than necessary. My eyes then flickered up to glance cockily at her. "Can't I take the woman I love out once and a while?"

From across the table she gently grabbed my hand. I smiled as I continued reading the menu. What sounded good…?

I put so much attention into the menu, I didn't notice Leah staring at me. "What?" I asked, worry lodging in my stomach. Was this too much?

"You're acting odd tonight," she stated. "Are you feeling alright?"

"You know, I might have a little temperature," I replied sarcastically. "But that's nothing to worry about. And what makes you think I'm acting odd?"

"You keep flinching, you're slightly sweating and you appear to be killing the menu."

Oops. I let my grip on the menu slacken and watched the indents my hands had left into the hard plastic. "Pfft, nothing," I said in a slightly raspy voice.

Taking my word for it, we ordered our dinners. When those were finished, I told them to get us a surprise for desert.

It wasn't until I heard the footsteps of the waiter clinking out toward us that I remembered the purpose of tonight.

Suddenly, all my confidence was withered away. How could I be positive she was going to say yes? What if she got mad at me for suggesting such a thing as marriage? What if…? What if…?

No! I was thinking this through too much. Leah couldn't live without me; or the other way around. She had to say yes… I had to stop the 'what if's'.

"Close your eyes," I instructed before the waiter entered. "I want this to be a surprise."

Laughing, she did so while complaining, "Kevin, it's only desert. I'll be surprised anyway, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do," I said as the waiter set down what appeared to be a chocolate cake and left. Not too fancy, but who could resist a chocolate cake?

"Now, wait a minute," I ordered as I stood up and walked around to the other side of Leah so my back was facing the vista. I angled her chair toward me.

"What does this have to do with desert?"

"I told you, it's a surprise."

I took a deep, supposedly relaxing, breath. It didn't help. Then I reached into my pocket and grabbed the ring box which seemed to have been growing larger all night. Looking at it, I realized it was the same as when I'd bought it. It must've been my imagination playing tricks on me.

Extending my arm out to Leah and kneeling down before her, I tried to look more serious and less grim. "Okay…" I said in a breath of a voice. "Open your eyes."

Obediently, her brown eyes flickered to meet the velvet black box only a few feet away from her with me behind it. Her jaw gaped and hand flew immediately to cover it. Great… now I couldn't read her expression.

I wanted so badly to look away in embarrassment, but something told me to keep the moment formal I should look straight at her. I clicked open to reveal the ring. "Leah Clearwater," I began. I was impressed when my voice didn't crack. "I've loved you since… well… before I even knew your name or who or what you were. And… I think I know you love me that way… so would you do me the honor and marry me?"

Something I said or the way my voice rose an octave caused her to laugh and remove her hands from her face. She gently wrapped her fingers around my wrist and pushed the ring down so she could see me. "Yes, Kevin," she smiled wider than anyone had ever seen Leah smile.

I grinned stupidly and stood up, opening my arms. She ignored my gesture by pushing my arms down and leaning forward and pressing her lips to mine. I smiled and my hands shot up to clutch her lower back and pull her into me. Her fingers curled around my shoulders.

If I could ever freeze time, this is where I would stay.

After a moment, I pushed her back. "Hey, Ms. Clearwater, your ring," I joked as I removed it from where it was neatly positioned in the pillow-like cushion.

She let me take her left hand and put it on her ring finger gingerly. She glanced up at me. "We've got forever to be together, now," she whispered.

Resting my arms around over her shoulders and pulling her into me again, I smiled. "Forever and a day."

_(100 Years Later…)_

I stood in the bedroom. It used to belong to my parents, but was now inhabited by me and my wife, Leah. It had been for the last… last… well, I don't know. Too long to remember exactly.

The tap of feet down the hall put a grin on my face. We'd decided not to run tonight and instead were going to sleep… for the most part.

As she walked in, I immediately felt a tension in the air. "Lee?" I asked, turning to look at her. She was wearing a robe and staring at her feet. What was she hiding?

Instead of speaking, she walked over to stand next to me as we stared out the window. I put my arm around her shoulder. "What is it?" I asked quietly.

She shrugged, reluctant. I could fix that. I turned to face her and rested my forehead against hers so my eyes could stare into hers. Our noses scarcely touched. I could feel her warm breath against my skin as I pushed my hips forward into her slightly. "What's wrong?" I asked in a hushed whisper. She could almost never resist this.

My theory proved correct when her arms – which had been crossed over her ribcage – moved to dangle from my shoulders. "Kevin… I was thinking… it's been a long time now…"

"Yes, and?" I asked when she paused.

"I… I was wondering if… if maybe you wanted… to start… a _family?_" she seemed to shrink away from the word.

"A _family?_ What do you- Oh…" Oh… that's what she wanted. "You mean you want… _kids?"_

"Yes…"

Well, at least that explained her reluctance to talk. Leah had never been comfortable for discussing things that were related to such actions.

My mind was foggy as I imagined what she was suggesting. "And in order to do that… we'd have to…"

"Well, stop phasing for a few years," she said. "Once I get my time of the month back we'll know when…"

Stopping this awkward conversation, I bent forward and kissed her. That stopped the words. "Yes," I replied to her original question. "Yes…"

**And I stop it there to keep it T. But writing this in M would be fun/awkward….**

**YUP. And that's a wrap. :D Foreshadowing for the next fic which I believe is to be called… (wait for it… drumroll please… /drumroll/) BETRAYAL. Why… I have the faintest clue. XD So, if you'd like, Kevin, Leah, Emily, Kyle, and myself would be delighted to see any faithful readers and reviewers again soon!**

**Click on my name and up top and you should see my list of stories including Betrayal… if it's already loaded (and not taking 8 hours as the community warned) but yep! **


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